Solar storm hits Earth, Moon and Mars simultaneously for first time: research

Astronomers have detected a solar storm hitting the Earth, Moon and Mars simultaneously for the first time.

It’s a breakthrough that could help better understand solar storms and protect astronauts in the future.

The solar storm that erupted on October 28, 2021 was so large that Mars and Earth, which are on the opposite side of the Sun and about 250 million kilometers apart, were hit by energetic particles from the Sun.

According to a new study published Wednesday in the journal Geographical Research Letters, this is the first time that solar activity has been measured simultaneously on the surface of Earth, the Moon and Mars.

Researchers examined solar activity detected by an international fleet of spacecraft.

The fleet includes NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover, China’s Chang’e-Four Moon Lander and the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO).

Scientists say that solar activity was a normal phenomenon ‘on Earth’, during which energetic particles from the Sun passed through the Earth’s magnetic bubble, which surrounds the Earth and made the planet as it is. Protects from solar storms.

Since the Moon and Mars do not have their own magnetic fields, particles from the Sun can easily reach their surface and combine with their soil to cause secondary radiation.

According to scientists, understanding such solar phenomena is important because the Moon and Mars are the focus of future human exploration.

Radiation in excess of seven hundred milligrammes, the unit of radiation absorption, can cause radiation sickness in astronauts.

This results in the loss of bone marrow in the astronauts and symptoms such as inflammation and bleeding within the body.

Astronauts exposed to more than 10 Grays of radiation are unlikely to survive more than two weeks, scientists said.

In comparison, the amount of radiation in the lunar orbit resulting from solar activity in October 2021, as measured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), was about 31 milligrammes.

Jing Guo, co-author of the study, said: ‘Evaluations of past events of solar particles reaching the surface of the Moon show that radiation on the Moon may exceed safe levels in an average event every five and a half years.

“If radiation protection is not provided, it is important to understand these events with respect to future manned missions to the lunar surface.”

The research also revealed important information about how Mars’ tenuous atmosphere provides protection against solar radiation.

Measurements by the Curiosity rovers at ExoMars TGO and I show that the October 2021 solar storm delivered 9 mg of radiation to Mars’ orbit, compared to the 0.3 mg of radiation found on the Red Planet’s surface. was 30 times more than

The new findings could add to knowledge for better design of protective space suits for astronauts.

TGO Project Scientist Colin Wilson said: ‘Space radiation can pose a real threat to our research throughout the Solar System. Measurements by robotic missions of radiation resulting from high-radiation events are critical to preparing for long-duration manned missions.

“Thanks to data from missions like ExoMars TGO, we can plan how we can best protect our human crew as researchers.”