Mars' Mysterious Solar Wind Disappearance Unveiled by NASA's MAVEN

NASA's MAVEN mission observed a rare and powerful solar event in December 2022, causing the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun, to "disappear." This event led to a significant drop in the number of solar wind particles at Mars, resulting in the expansion of the Martian atmosphere and magnetosphere. MAVEN's observations provided valuable insights into the response of Mars to the absence of solar wind, including the expansion of the planet's magnetosphere and ionosphere. This event, last seen nearly a quarter-century ago at Earth, offers important information for understanding atmospheric and water loss on Mars.