For the first time ever, instruments in various regions of the solar system all managed to collect radiation from the same coronal mass ejection.
The sun recently released a massive explosion of plasma and magnetically charged particles. The Earth, the moon, and Mars were all exposed to radiation due to the enormous solar eruption. And for the first time, equipment on all three bodies took almost simultaneous measurements of the same occurrence.
Both the NASA Curiosity rover and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) on Mars detected the surge of energetic particles. These specks were detected on the moon by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) of NASA and the Chang’e-4 of the Chinese National Space Administration. The radiation from low Earth orbit was also picked up by the Eu:CROPIS satellite of the German Aerospace Center. The results of this solar trifecta were published in Geophysical Research Letters .
Future space missions, such as those intended to transport personnel to Mars and build a scientific base on the moon, depend on our ability to comprehend these phenomena, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The most harmful solar outbursts are protected from Earth by our magnetic field. However, the moon and Mars do not have this shielding magnetosphere, therefore a lot more radiation reaches their surfaces.
Astronauts may experience adverse effects from all that radiation. According to a 2014 study published in the journal Life, exposure to high quantities of radiation can cause skin irritation, nausea, blood abnormalities, decreased immunity, and even cancer. It can result in burns and brain deterioration in severe cases. One gray, or one unit of radiation, is equal to approximately 700 milligrams, which is considered a harmful dose. Fortunately, the CME was much weaker than that, measuring only around 31 millimeters; nevertheless, as the sun gets closer to the peak of its 11-year solar activity cycle, which might start as early as the end of 2023, CMEs grow more frequent and more intense.
The latest research discovered that by the time the radiation from the event reached the surface of our planet, Earth’s magnetosphere and atmosphere had rendered it insignificant. Due to the buffering effects of its atmosphere, Mars’ surface received a dose that was roughly one-third of the initial amount. However, only slightly more than half of the CME’s initial radiation dose reached the moon’s surface.
Even if this specific CME event wasn’t energetic enough to possibly injure a person, half of the radiation from a stronger outburst might be fatal. Scientists might be able to create the shielding required to safeguard future astronauts by researching where and how CMEs strike extraterrestrial worlds.
Colin Wilson, a project scientist on the ExoMars TGO mission, stated in a statement that space radiation “can create a real danger to our exploration throughout the Solar System.” We can plan how to best protect our human explorers “thanks to data from missions like ExoMars.”
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