The Red Planet has a touch of cat valium , allot to atmospheric observance performed by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter . It ’s the first time this issue has been documented on a major planet other than Earth .
Like Earth , Mars features green airglow emissions in its dayside atmosphere , accord to newresearchpublished in Nature Astronomy . The green hue happens when the Sun ’s rays excite oxygen particle in the upper standard pressure .
This green gleam effect is quite timid , but astronauts aboard the International Space Station have the best seats in the house to regard the phenomenon happening on Earth . They can spot airglow when look at Earth ’s limb — the curving edge of the planet as it appears to intersect with space .
Artist’s impression of ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter detecting the green glow of oxygen in the martian atmosphere.Image: (ESA)
Airglow green line discharge are not to be obscure with auroras , ordinarily known as the Northern and Southern Lights . aurora arise from collisions between atmospheric atom , namely oxygen and N , and fast - moving particles , i.e. negatron , that originate in Earth ’s magnetic force field . Green line discharge also ask oxygen atoms , which produce the green hue , but the dayglow happens when the Sun ’s rays directly excite these particle and atom ( Mars lack a inviolable magnetic field ) . Nightglow emission happen when busted molecules recombine .
And yes , Mars has O , though not at the same grade seen on Earth . In fact , atmospheric atomic number 8 on Mars exists as a by-product of disintegrate C dioxide , the result of the Sun ’s rays pink out one of its two oxygen atom . It ’s this very process that produce the green glow , agree to the new inquiry , led by Jean - Claude Gérard of the University of Liège in Belgium .
Green airglow emissions on Mars were predicted to be 40 years ago , but this is the first confirm detective work — a outcome made possible by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter , a orbiter that ’s been circling Mars since 2016 . The orbiter detected the aroused atomic number 8 with its NOMAD spectrometer , which scanned the Martian dayside surface in both ultraviolet and visible igniter .
Green airglow in Earth’s atmosphere, as seen from the ISS in 2011.Image: (NASA)
“ Previous reflection had n’t catch any kind of green glow at Mars , so we decided to reorient the [ ultraviolet and seeable mass spectrometer ] … to point at the ‘ sharpness ’ of Mars , exchangeable to the perspective you see in figure of Earth take from the ISS , ” explained Ann Carine Vandaele from the the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy in an ESApress outlet .
The researchers take measurements between 12 to 250 miles ( 20 to 400 kilometre ) above the Martian surface . The fleeceable oxygen expelling were found in all of these altitudes , but they were strong at 50 miles ( 80 klick ) above the surface . The strength varied allot to the commute distance between Mars and the Sun .
Interestingly , this technique can now be used to measure the density of the Martian atmosphere . This could essay utilitarian for upcoming missions in which engineers need to account for the atmospheric drag experienced by orb satellites and by chute delivering investigation to the surface .
Earth and Venus, as seen from the surface of Mars.Image: (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
In other Mars - related news , NASA ’s Curiosity rovercaptureda shot of Earth and Venus in the Martian dark sky . Both planets appear as bright specks of light , with the third planet from the Sun glowing more bright than the second , as seen from the fourth satellite . The trope was capture on June 5 , 2020 as Curiosity was measuring the luminosity of twilight .
atmospheric scienceMarsOxygenScience
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