NASA’s Maven orbiter has captured remarkable footage of aurora lights illuminating Mars in vibrant purple hues. These auroras, unlike their counterparts on Earth, envelop the entire planet due to Mars’ lack of a strong magnetic field. The images, taken between May 14 and 20, provide insights into the planet’s interactions with solar storms and particle emissions.
The dazzling auroras that have been captivating audiences in the United States are expected to return with even greater intensity on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. The current geomagnetic storm is the result of intense Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) from the Sun, which are expected to impact the Earth’s magnetic field late Sunday or early Monday. Scientists anticipate that the resulting geomagnetic storms could reach extreme levels, although they may not surpass the intensity of Friday’s historic event.
A new study suggests that the weakening of Earth’s magnetic field around 591 million years ago may have played a crucial role in the evolution of life. The research, published in the journal ‘Geology’, analyzed ancient rocks from South Africa and Brazil, revealing a significant weakening of the magnetic field during the Ediacaran Period (about 635 million to 541 million years ago). This period is associated with the ‘oxygenation event’, when the atmosphere and oceans became more oxygen-rich, leading to the evolution of larger and more mobile life-forms.
