The first picture of a visible aurora on Mars, taken by Perseverance

The first picture of a visible aurora on Mars, taken by Perseverance

On some Martian nights, a subtle, green glow hangs low in the sky. It glimmers just above the horizon in every direction. Now, for the first time, a Mars rover has observed one of these auroras. NASA’s Perseverance rover witnessed the light show on March 18, 2024. It was the first aurora seen from the surface of a planet other than Earth. And it hints that future astronauts may observe ethereal Martian auroras with their own eyes. “It would be a…