Emerald Glow on Hwaseong? ... Green Luminescence Observed in the Atmosphere

Expert: "Probe Entry Will Aid Takeoff and Landing"

Illustration of green emission observed in the atmosphere of Mars / Photo by European Space Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] A study has announced the observation of a green light emission phenomenon in the atmosphere of Mars.

On the 15th (local time), according to the British BBC and others, an international joint research team led by Jean-Claude G?rard, a researcher at the University of Li?ge in Belgium, reported online in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy that "the European Space Agency's Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) observed an emerald green spectrum in the atmosphere of Mars, marking the first discovery of such a phenomenon on a planet other than Earth."

The research team stated, "The brightest emissions observed on Earth originate from the night airglow. More specifically, they can be explained by oxygen atoms emitting a special wavelength of light not previously observed on other planets," adding, "This phenomenon has been predicted to exist on Mars for over 40 years but had not been observed until now. Thanks to TGO, it has been discovered."

According to the researchers, the green luminescence on Mars is a characteristic of oxygen but differs from Earth's auroras. The northern and southern lights occur when atmospheric molecules and charged particles from the sun collide, and this interaction is influenced by Earth's magnetic field, causing the lights to concentrate near the poles. Since Mars lacks a magnetic field, the observed luminescence does not concentrate in one area.

European Space Agency officials explained, "Night airglow occurs when scattered molecules recombine, whereas day airglow happens when sunlight directly excites atoms and molecules such as nitrogen and oxygen."

Co-author of the study, Ann Karin Vandele from the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, said, "Previous observations did not detect any type of green luminescence on Mars, so we adjusted the orientation to capture the edge of Mars at an angle similar to images of Earth taken from the International Space Station (ISS)."

The research team scanned the Martian atmosphere at altitudes ranging from 12 miles to 250 miles and confirmed green luminescence at all heights, with the strongest observation around 50 miles altitude. They also noted variations depending on the distance from the sun.

Manish Patel, a professor at the Open University in the UK, described the study as "a good result" in an interview with the BBC. Professor Patel said, "No one would have planned to look for this. We must have clear confidence in the scientific research we conduct before going to Mars, and this is a direct confirmation of that."

Professor Patel added, "By examining altitude, we can understand how the thickness and shape of the atmosphere change. Continuous observation of this phenomenon allows analysis of changes in atmospheric height. This information can also be applied during Mars landings. Theoretically, observing green luminescence can provide data during the entry, descent, and landing phases of Mars exploration missions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.