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Martian auroras offer clues to how the red planet lost its water
Aurorae are a dazzling light spectacle often visible at high-latitude locations here on Earth. They’re colorful and mesmerizing, but most of all, they’re mysterious.
A new study has found that this same phenomenon also happens on Mars. In research presented last week at the American Geophysical Union’s annual Fall meeting, scientists revealed that the most common form of Martian aurorae is called the proton aurora.
Just like the auroras we see here on Earth, proton aurorae are formed when the solar wind—a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun—interacts with the atmosphere. That interaction often manifests itself as a mesmerizing swirl of colored lights in the night sky.
On Mars, however, the auroras appear during the daytime and onlookers would need special ultraviolet glasses to see them. That’s because they’re invisible to the naked eye, but can be spotted with special UV instruments.
These auroras aren’t just a future Martian tourist attraction, they have a scientific value. We could better understand how Mars is losing water to space and more about how the planet’s climate is changing.
Proton auroras were first discovered in 2016 by NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. MAVEN is investigating how the Red Planet lost its atmosphere and water, ultimately transforming its climate from one that may have supported life to one that is inhospitable.
The observed aurora can help researchers track the amount of water lost since the auroras are related to water loss.
“In this new study using MAVEN/IUVS data from multiple Mars years, the team has found that periods of increased atmospheric escape correspond with increases in proton aurora occurrence and intensity,” Andréa Hughes of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida said in a news release.
Auroras on both planets start with the same source: the solar wind. On Earth, they appear when the solar wind slams into our planet’s magnetic field. High-energy collisions occur as the charged solar particles interact with particles of atmospheric gas. Each type of particle produces a different colored light in the sky.
Martian auroras start in much the same way, charged particles from the solar wind collide with a cloud of hydrogen that surrounds the red planet. When this happens, protons in the solar wind become neutral after stealing electrons from the hydrogen atoms. They then collide with other molecules in the Martian atmosphere, producing an ultraviolet glow.
Since the hydrogen cloud surrounding the planet is created in part by water being lost to space, this could give scientists a way to measure the amount of water lost over time.
When the MAVEN team first observed the proton aurora, they thought they were witnessing an unusual phenomenon. “At first, we believed that these events were rather rare because we weren’t looking at the right times and places,” Mike Chaffin, a research scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) said in a statement.
After Chaffin’s team took a closer look, they discovered that the proton auroras occur quite frequently, especially in the summer. This is probably due to seasonal variation in the hydrogen cloud that surrounds Mars. The team noted that during the Martian summer, the cloud lines up just right to produce near-constant auroras.
But that’s not all. The researchers also discovered that as temperatures climb during the summer, rising dust clouds would carry water vapor away from the planet’s surface. That water vapor is then broken down into its components: hydrogen and oxygen. As more hydrogen escapes into space, it enhances the hydrogen cloud enveloping Mars and ultimately leads to more frequent (and brighter) proton auroras.
“Observations of proton auroras at Mars provides a unique perspective of hydrogen and, therefore, water loss from the planet,” physicist Edwin Mierkiewicz of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida said in a statement.
“Through this research, we can gain a deeper understanding of the Sun’s interactions with the upper atmosphere of Mars and with similar bodies in our Solar System, or in another solar system, that lacks a global magnetic field.”
So, if we ever do make it to Mars, those first visitors are going to witness some truly out-of-this-world sights—as long as they packed their ultraviolet goggles.
Tesla Cybercab is perhaps the most highly-anticipated project that the company plans to roll out this year, and as it is undergoing its testing phase in pre-production currently, there are some things to work through with it.
Over the weekend, an image of the Cybercab being loaded onto a tow truck started circulating on the internet, and people began to speculate as to what the issue could be.
Hmmmmmm… https://t.co/L5hWcOXQkb pic.twitter.com/OJBDyHNTMj
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 11, 2026
The Cybercab can clearly be seen with a Police Officer and perhaps the tow truck driver by its side, being loaded onto, or even potentially unloaded from, the truck.
However, it seems unlikely it was being offloaded, as its operation would get it to this point for testing to begin with.
It appears, at first glance, that it needs assistance getting back to wherever it came from; likely Gigafactory Texas or potentially a Bay Area facility.
The Cybercab was also spotted in Buffalo, New York, last week, potentially undergoing cold-weather testing, but it doesn’t appear that’s where this incident took place.
It is important to remember that the Cybercab is currently undergoing some rigorous testing scenarios, which include range tests and routine public road operation. These things help Tesla assess any potential issue the vehicle could run into after it starts routine production and heads to customers, or for the Robotaxi platform operation.
This is not a one-off issue, either. Tesla had some instances with the Semi where it was seen broken down on the side of a highway three years ago. The all-electric Semi has gone on to be successful in its early pilot program, as companies like Frito-Lay and PepsiCo. have had very positive remarks.
The Cybercab’s future is bright, and it is important to note that no vehicle model has ever gone its full life without a breakdown. It happens, it’s a car.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that there has been no official word on what happened with this particular Cybercab unit, but it is crucial to remember that this is the pre-production testing phase, and these things are more constructive than anything.
Tesla analyst Andrew Percoco of Morgan Stanley teased the company’s dominance in its self-driving initiative, stating that its lead over competitors is “not even close.”
Percoco recently overtook coverage of Tesla stock from Adam Jonas, who had covered the company at Morgan Stanley for years. Percoco is handling Tesla now that Jonas is covering embodied AI stocks and no longer automotive.
His first move after grabbing coverage was to adjust the price target from $410 to $425, as well as the rating from ‘Overweight’ to ‘Equal Weight.’
Percoco’s new note regarding Tesla highlights the company’s extensive lead in self-driving and autonomy projects, something that it has plenty of competition in, but has established its prowess over the past few years.
He writes:
“It’s not even close. Tesla continues to lead in autonomous driving, even as Nvidia rolls out new technology aimed at helping other automakers build driverless systems.”
Percoco’s main point regarding Tesla’s advantage is the company’s ability to collect large amounts of training data through its massive fleet, as millions of cars are driving throughout the world and gathering millions of miles of vehicle behavior on the road.
This is the main point that Percoco makes regarding Tesla’s lead in the entire autonomy sector: data is King, and Tesla has the most of it.
One big story that has hit the news over the past week is that of NVIDIA and its own self-driving suite, called Alpamayo. NVIDIA launched this open-source AI program last week, but it differs from Tesla’s in a significant fashion, especially from a hardware perspective, as it plans to use a combination of LiDAR, Radar, and Vision (Cameras) to operate.
Percoco said that NVIDIA’s announcement does not impact Morgan Stanley’s long-term opinions on Tesla and its strength or prowess in self-driving.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang commends Tesla’s Elon Musk for early belief
And, for what it’s worth, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang even said some remarkable things about Tesla following the launch of Alpamayo:
“I think the Tesla stack is the most advanced autonomous vehicle stack in the world. I’m fairly certain they were already using end-to-end AI. Whether their AI did reasoning or not is somewhat secondary to that first part.”
Percoco reiterated both the $425 price target and the ‘Equal Weight’ rating on Tesla shares.
Elon Musk
Donald Trump turns to Elon Musk and Starlink amid Iran internet blackout
Donald Trump has stated that he plans to speak with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran.
Donald Trump has stated that he plans to speak with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran, as authorities in the country implement an internet blackout amid nationwide anti-government protests.
Trump points to Starlink
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump said Musk would be well-suited to help restore connectivity in Iran, citing his experience operating large-scale satellite networks, as noted in a Reuters report. “He’s very good at that kind of thing, he’s got a very good company,” Trump said.
Iran has experienced a near-total internet shutdown for several days, severely limiting the flow of information as protests escalated into broader demonstrations against the country’s rulers.
Starlink has previously been used in Iran during periods of unrest, allowing some users to access the global internet despite government blocks. Neither Musk nor SpaceX immediately commented on Trump’s remarks, but Musk has publicly supported efforts to provide Starlink access to Iranians during earlier periods of unrest.
Renewed Trump–Musk ties
Trump’s comments come amid a thaw in his previously strained relationship with Musk. The two had a public falling-out last year over domestic policy disagreements but have since appeared together publicly, including at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. The renewed ties now intersect with foreign policy, as Starlink has become a strategic tool in regions facing censorship or conflict.
The satellite service has also played a prominent role elsewhere, most notably in Ukraine, highlighting both its potential impact and the political sensitivities surrounding its use. In Iran, Starlink support previously followed coordination between Musk and U.S. officials during protests in 2022.
The current internet blackout in Iran has drawn international attention, with rights groups estimating hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests since demonstrations intensified late last year. Iranian authorities have not released official casualty figures, and outside verification remains limited due to restricted communications.
Tesla Cybercab ‘breakdown’ image likely is not what it seems
Tesla analyst teases self-driving dominance in new note: ‘It’s not even close’
