Space weather may seem like a tale from a galaxy far, far away — but when solar storms impact us on Earth, we're directly affected. These storms are what give rise to the Northern Lights, for instance. They can even lead to temporary disruptions in our communications systems and power grid. From these solar flares, we can learn so much — and a recent release from NASA shares how, back in 2021, one in particular had a brilliant story to go with it. As space agencies continue to send astronauts into our planet's orbit, and start planning for journeys even beyond, ways of monitoring solar storms and their impacts will become increasingly critical. These storms have the potential to harm humans, satellites and spacecraft; a release from 2023 by the European Space Agency discussed how, for the first time, such energetic particles were simultaneously observed on the surfaces of the Earth, moon and Mars after a solar outburst. This raised important concerns.
"Space radiation can create a real danger to our exploration throughout the Solar System," Colin Wilson, ExoMars TGO project scientist, shared in the ESA's release. "Measurements of high-level radiation events by robotic missions is critical to prepare for long-duration crewed missions."
