Page 5 - Spec Tech Vol 1 Issue 03

MAVEN and EMM make first observations of

patchy proton aurora at Mars

NASA's MAVEN and the United Arab
Emirates' EMM missions have released joint
observations of dynamic proton aurora
events at Mars. By combining the
observations, scientists determined that what
they were seeing was essentially a map of
where the solar wind was raining down onto
the planet, opening new avenues for
understanding the Martian atmosphere.

MAVEN — Mars Atmosphere and Volatile
Evolution

EMM — Emirates Mars Mission

AURORA — An aurora, also commonly
known as the polar lights, is a natural light
display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in
high-latitude regions.
Image 1 Image Credit : NASA/Goddard Space Flight
Patchy proton aurora on Mars

Comparison of normal and patchy proton
aurora formation mechanisms at Mars.
Image 1 shows the normal proton aurora
formation mechanism first discovered in
2018. The image 2 shows the newly
discovered formation mechanism for
patchy proton aurora.

What is Proton Aurora ?

Proton aurorae are a distinct class
of auroral phenomena caused by
energetic protons precipitating into a
planetary atmosphere. The defining
observational signature is atomic
hydrogen emissions from the
precipitating particles after they
obtain an electron from the neutral
atmospheric gas, a process known
as charge exchange.

Image 2 Image Credit : NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Space Explorer 2022 5