Mars Express observes aurorae on the Red Planet

[YankeyMCC]

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21 November 2008
Scientists using ESA’s Mars Express have produced the first crude map of aurorae on Mars. These displays of ultraviolet light appear to be located close to the residual magnetic fields generated by Mars’s crustal rocks. They highlight a number of mysteries about the way Mars interacts with electrically charged particles originating from the Sun.

The aurorae on Mars were discovered in 2004 using the SPICAM ultraviolet and infrared atmospheric spectrometer on board Mars Express. They are a powerful tool with which scientists can investigate the composition and structure of the Red Planet’s atmosphere.
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http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMY1B5DHNF_index_0.html

You know I just recently re-read Ben Bova's "Mars" written in 1992 and I recall that sceen where the character of Jamie Waterman saw the Martian aurora at sunset.