According to foreign media reports, NASA’s Mars rover “Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN” (referred to as MAVEN) successfully captured the pulsed glow from Mars. Huge UV spots appear on Mars at night, with incredible regularity, exactly 3 times a night. It is understood that in the eyes of scientists, this discovery highlights Martian atmospheric processes and circulation patterns.
According to reports, the brightest spot in the pulsed glow discovered by the MAVEN detector is about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) wide . In the composite image, the green and white areas represent the intensity of ultraviolet light, while the global photo of Mars is added with a digital background. The most surprising thing is that the pulse has seasonal characteristics. According to MAVEN’s data, ultraviolet pulses only occur in spring and autumn on Mars, and happen exactly three times a night, starting after sunset and ending at midnight.
Scientists have understood the mechanism behind this unique pulse of Mars: ultraviolet rays from the sun irradiate the Martian atmosphere, decomposing carbon dioxide and dinitrogen into the constituent atoms of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen. The wind then blows these atoms to the “night side” of Mars, where they begin to sink toward the surface. In this process, nitrogen atoms and oxygen atoms combine to form a kind of nitric oxide molecule, and in this process release photons of ultraviolet light.
In fact, this kind of “night glow” phenomenon is not uncommon. It has also been detected on Mars before, but MAVEN’s discovery is that this is the first time people have seen such a regular pulse .
The research team is using this seasonal ultraviolet pulse to help map the circulation and turbulence of the Martian atmosphere. They also plan to observe night glow from the side by observing the edge of Mars in future work, which will help people better understand wind and seasonal changes.
Sonal Jain, one of the authors of the study, said: “The discovery of MAVEN shows the importance of these huge circulation patterns, which transport atmospheric gases from the surface of Mars to the edge of space.”
This research has been published in the “Journal of Geophysical Research”.
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