Planet Earth is in for some amazing geomagnetic storms in the next year or so. That’s because it’s in a period of peak activity called “solar maximum” (solar max, for short). But, what happens at other planets, especially Mars, during this time? Mars mission scientists got a sneak peek at the effect of a major solar storm thanks to one hitting the Red Planet on May 20th, 2024.
Continue reading “A Recent Solar Storm Even Had an Impact on Mars”A Recent Solar Storm Even Had an Impact on Mars
![During the May 20 solar storm, so much energy from the storm struck the surface that black-and-white images from Curiosity’s navigation cameras danced with “snow” — white streaks and specks caused by charged particles hitting the cameras. Courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech](https://www.universetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1-PIA26303-Curiosity-Sees-Specks-While-Recording-a-Wind-Gust-in-2024-16.gif)