(MENAFN) Scientists have observed the Martian atmosphere glowing green for the first time ever, in the visible light spectrum, in a phenomenon called atmospheric luminescence (or dayglow or nightglow, depending on what time it appears).
Scientists explained that this effect occurs on Earth as well, and shares some similarities with the northern lights (or aurora borealis), but it is a different phenomenon and has different causes.
Nightglow, in particular, occurs when two oxygen atoms combine to form an oxygen molecule, according to the European Space Agency. On Mars, this occurs at an altitude of about 31 miles (50 km). According to the "Russia Today" website.
In comparison, aurora borealis occur when charged particles from the Sun collide with the Earth's magnetic field.
Scientists suspected the presence of airglow on Mars about 40 years ago, but the first observation occurred a decade ago by the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft , which discovered this phenomenon in the infrared spectrum. Then, in 2020, scientists observed this phenomenon in visible light using the European Space Agency's ( ESA ) ExoMars probe , but in Martian daylight rather than at night. Now, scientists were able to monitor this phenomenon at night using ExoMars .
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