In fact, researchers believe the thick, protective atmosphere that allowed ancient Mars to be warm and wet billions of years ago may have disappeared far earlier in its history than previously thought.
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But knowing more about what drove these changes could shed light on the potential for life on Mars, said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the NASA Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
That solar wind is tearing away the atmospheric gases at about 100 grams (maybe ¼ pound) every second, the release noted.
“Solar-wind erosion is an important mechanism for atmospheric loss, and was important enough to account for significant change in the Martian climate”, said Joe Grebowsky, MAVEN project scientist from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
Just as life first emerged on Earth, our neighbor Mars lost its best chance for life to take root there when it lost most of its atmosphere – and the culprit was our sun, researchers say. These molecules are then torn from the atmosphere and flung out into space. The MAVEN mission is expected to complete its mission on Nov 16.
Unlike Mars, the Earth is outfitted with a strong magnetic global field which helps shield it from detrimental effects of solar wind.
Solar winds carry charged particles, mostly protons and electrons, in streams traveling at speeds of about one million miles per hour. Because it’s protective magnetic cover was stripped off by solar winds, the planet has transformed into a dry and arid one, greatly reducing its habitability.
The focus of the mission is to study different types of radiation that are emitted by the sun and other cosmic sources to determine their impact on the Martian upper atmosphere. This discovery has sparked scientists to think that the atmosphere of Mars could be much denser and warmer about billions of years ago.
The bulk of the stripping of the atmosphere appears to be occurring in three particular regions: down the ‘tail, ‘ where the solar wind flows behind Mars, above the Martian poles in a ‘polar plume, ‘ and from an extended cloud of gas surrounding Mars.
Not only does the research add to our understanding of Mars’ past, it enlightens us as to how the sun could be affecting our own atmosphere and provides us with information relevant to a future manned mission to our neighboring planet.
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At a news conference on Thursday, MAVEN scientists explained that Earth would have to lose its magnetic field in order to suffer the same fate – which is highly unlikely.
