Thursday, October 26, 2017

The Electric Slide – Mars style


 

149,600,000 kilometers (km) or 92,900,000 miles. That’s the distance between Mars & the Sun. You probably didn’t consider solar wind might be a problem when you thought of Mars. Well, it is. And for more reasons than you would think. 

 

Solar wind is a flowing of the charged particles that make up the outer layer of the Sun coming away from the star at speeds of almost 900,000 miles an hour. Here on Earth, we don't feel the impact of solar wind because of our magnetic shield which absorbs most of it. We have the aurora borealis, the beautiful northern lights that are a constant reminder of the particles from the sun striking atoms in Earth's atmosphere, the electrons in the atoms move to a higher-energy state. Then it is when the electrons drop back to a lower energy state that they release a photon/light. But Mars, and particularly, Phobos (Remember the Moons of Mars, Phobos & Deimos?) has no protection. (Actually, scientists blame the solar winds for blowing the Red Planet's atmosphere away.)

 

NASA had been considering as a possibility landing on Phobos and this way they could better control equipment on Mars from there. Also, coming home from Mars would be so much easier as there is less gravity on the 14 mile wide Phobos which translates into less fuel necessary for leaving.  Seems, however, thanks to the solar winds, that might just be a problem.

 

Irregardless of what side of Phobos is facing the sun that side is constantly being pummeled by the charged particles or plasma that is solar wind, basically giving the side facing the Sun an electrical charge. The opposing side or dark side of the moon, a  "plasma void," is created which also has a slight electrical charge. While on the day side, that charge can dissipate; on the dark side it's trapped.

 

Oh, and FYI? When the Sun has a coronal mass ejection or even just a solar flare, it’s exponentially worse.

 

Sorry team, next plan?

 

 

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