ESA's ExoMars Orbiter Detects Green Glow in Martian Night Sky

Visible nightglow could guide future explorers and provide insights into Mars' atmospheric processes

The European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter has detected a green glow in the Martian night sky, caused by oxygen atoms combining high above the planet's surface.
The green glow, also known as nightglow, is bright enough to be seen by human eyes and could potentially guide future explorers on the Red Planet.
Nightglow is a common phenomenon in the atmospheres of the Solar System, caused by the recombination of atoms into molecules, releasing energy as photons.
The discovery of visible nightglow on Mars provides valuable insights into the planet's atmospheric chemistry, circulation, and processes.
The intensity of the night glow in the polar regions is such that simple and relatively inexpensive instruments in Martian orbit could map and monitor atmospheric flows.