- NASA study reveals some Martian auroras form through a process like Earth's auroras
- MAVEN mission data shows a smaller Dungey cycle occurs over Mars' crustal magnetic fields
- Mars lacks a global magnetic field, featuring localized crustal magnetized regions instead
Scientists are learning more about how auroras form on Mars. A new study by NASA has found that some Martian auroras are created through a process similar to the one that produces auroras on Earth, helping researchers better understand the Red Planet, reported NASA.
The findings, published in Nature Communications, show that the same mechanism that moves and accelerates charged particles into Earth's atmosphere also takes place on Mars, although on a much smaller scale because the two planets have different magnetic fields.
The discovery is based on data collected by NASA's MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission. Although NASA declared the mission concluded on June 3 after the spacecraft became unrecoverable following a loss of communication on Dec. 6, 2025, scientists continue to use its data for research and future Mars missions.
On Earth, a process known as the Dungey cycle occurs when the Sun's magnetic field reconnects with Earth's magnetosphere, sending charged electrons into the atmosphere and creating auroras. The new study found that a smaller version of this cycle is taking place over Mars' strong crustal magnetic fields.
Lead author Shaosui Xu, an associate research physicist at the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, said the team knew that magnetic reconnection was happening on Mars but did not expect it to work like the Dungey cycle.
Unlike Earth, Mars does not have a global magnetic field. Instead, it has many small magnetised regions in its crust that formed around four billion years ago when lava cooled in the presence of the planet's ancient magnetic field.
Scientists used several instruments aboard the MAVEN spacecraft, including the Magnetometer, Solar Wind Electron Analyzer, and STATIC instrument, to study the magnetic fields, electrical currents, and plasma flows that helped explain how these localized auroras form.
Xu said the team pushed the limits of the STATIC instrument to collect the data they needed and that it became the final piece of the puzzle in understanding these localized auroras.
MAVEN principal investigator Shannon Curry said the discovery changes how scientists think about Martian auroras and marks another important step in understanding why Mars and Earth evolved so differently despite being governed by the same underlying physics. She added that she was proud of the team's work and excited to uncover more insights into the Red Planet and its evolution.
The findings also improve scientists' understanding of how the solar environment interacts with Mars, which is important for future robotic and crewed missions.
