NASA’s Mars Atmosphere Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission has made a groundbreaking discovery on the Red Planet, shedding light on one of its greatest mysteries: how its atmosphere was stripped away. By directly observing an elusive process called sputtering, scientists believe they have finally answered questions about water loss on Mars.
Sputtering occurs when high-energy particles from the solar wind crash into Mars’ upper atmosphere, knocking atoms into space. This phenomenon is thought to be a key factor in the planet’s atmospheric erosion, which led to its dramatic climate shift and the disappearance of liquid water.
The MAVEN mission, using a trio of instruments, collected rare data on both dayside and nightside of Mars. The results show that argon was being ejected from the atmosphere precisely where solar particles collided with it, at a rate four times higher than previously thought. This process intensified during solar storms.
According to principal investigator Shannon Curry, this discovery confirms sputtering’s role in the loss of Mars’ atmosphere and helps determine the history of water on the planet. The findings could significantly reshape our understanding of Mars’ past and its potential to have once supported life.
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/rare-discovery-on-mars-could-finally-reveal-why-the-planet-died-2732984-2025-05-30