Global Aurora on Mars During the September 2017 Space Weather Event

Mars; Magnetic fields; Neutron emission; Remote sensing; Weather information services; Crustal magnetic fields; Molecular emissions; Remote sensing instruments; Southern Hemisphere; Space weather; Orbits; Martian atmosphere

Abstract :

[en] We report the detection of bright aurora spanning Mars' nightside during the space weather event occurring in September 2017. The phenomenon was similar to diffuse aurora detected previously at Mars, but 25 times brighter and detectable over the entire visible nightside. The observations were made with the Imaging UltraViolet Spectrograph, a remote sensing instrument on the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft orbiting Mars. Images show that the emission was brightest around the limb of the planet, with a fairly uniform faint glow against the disk itself. Spectra identified four molecular emissions associated with aurora, and limb scans show the emission originated from an altitude of ~60 km in the atmosphere. Both are consistent with very high energy particle precipitation. The auroral brightening peaked around 13 September, when the flux of solar energetic electrons and protons both peaked. During the declining phase of the event, faint but statistically significant auroral emissions briefly appeared against the disk of the planet in the form of narrow wisps and small patches. These features are approximately aligned with predicted open field lines in the region of strong crustal magnetic fields in Mars' southern hemisphere. ©2018. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Disciplines :

Space science, astronomy & astrophysics

Author, co-author :

Schneider, N. M.; Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States

Jain, S. K.; Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States

Deighan, J.; Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States

Nasr, C. R.; Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States

Brain, D. A.; Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States

Larson, D.; Space Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States

Lillis, R.; Space Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States

Rahmati, A.; Space Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States

Halekas, J. S.; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States

Lee, C. O.; Space Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States

More authors (14 more)

Language :

English

Title :

Global Aurora on Mars During the September 2017 Space Weather Event

Publication date :

2018

Journal title :

Geophysical Research Letters

ISSN :

0094-8276

eISSN :

1944-8007

Publisher :

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

7391-7398

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Funders :

CU - University of Colorado System
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Available on ORBi :

since 22 May 2020

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