Mars' Magnetosphere Expands as Solar Wind Disappears

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft observed a rare event on Christmas Day last year, where the solar wind, the stream of charged particles from the Sun, almost completely disappeared. This sudden lack of pressure allowed the Martian atmosphere and magnetosphere to expand by thousands of miles, more than tripling its regular size. The event provided valuable insights into how Mars responds when the solar wind is effectively removed, shedding light on the planet's atmospheric escape process. MAVEN's scientific instruments captured the event, providing exceptional data for further study.