If we ever want to send people to visit the red planet, we're going to need to learn more about radiation and how it's affected by events like solar storms.
The recent solar storm s caused epic events here on Earth, where auroras were visible across much of the globe last month. These storms, caused by heightened activity from the sun, don’t only affect our planet though — they also affect Mars . NASA missions like the Curiosity rover have been observing the effects of solar storm s there, where the very thin atmosphere creates a potentially dangerous radiation environment.
Recommended Videos As cool as these storms look when seen through electronic eyes, if astronauts had been on the planet’s surface when such a solar storm hit, they would have been bombarded with a radiation dose of 8,100 micrograys, which NASA says is equivalent to 30 chest X-rays. That isn’t enough to kill someone, but it is a big radiation spike that has researchers considering how to protect future astronauts.
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