NASA will task two of its spacecraft with analyzing the effects of this increased solar activity on the Red Planet.
This cycle occurs due to shifts in our star’s magnetic field. It can cause intense solar storms that are felt throughout our solar system.
Earth’s magnetic field protects against these solar storms, but Mars isn’t quite so lucky. The Red Planet lost its global magnetic field a long time ago, meaning the effects of these solar storms are felt on the planet’s surface. The US space agency’s MAVEN orbiter and Curiosity rover will both study solar particles and radiation on Mars.
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