News Space

Perseverance takes the first picture of a visible Martian aurora

Future astronauts will be able to observe the ethereal lights with their own eyes

An illustration of a green Martian aurora in the sky over the Perseverance rover.

Martian auroras may appear to future astronauts as a faint, green glow that hangs low in the night sky, as shown in this illustration.

Alex McDougall-Page

By Nikk Ogasa

On some Martian nights, a subtle, green glow hangs low in the sky, wreathing the horizon in every direction.

A visible Martian aurora has finally been observed for the first time, researchers report May 14 in Science Advances.