What causes aurorae on Mars? Our article says that a mechanism was proposed last year, but I looked at this sentence's source and didn't understand any of it. (Maybe it's because I'm sleepy, or maybe it's because I just don't know much about astronomy.) Could you provide a couple or three good sentences that I could just dump into the article? Thanks! Nyttend (talk) 11:23, 26 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Researchers have learned how a type of aurora on Mars is formed. The physicists report discrete aurora form through the interaction of the solar wind and the crust at Mars' southern hemisphere.

• "Physicists explain how type of aurora on Mars is formed". ScienceDaily. University of Iowa. May 18, 2022. -- 136.54.106.120 (talk) 19:22, 26 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

We have ideas, but no solid explanation for why we are observing intense aurora of this shape and at planetary scales.

• Howell, Elizabeth (30 April 2022). "Newfound auroras on Mars defy easy explanation". Space.com. -- 136.54.106.120 (talk) 19:28, 26 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

See also (copy/paste not allowed):

• "The discreet aurora on Mars; here is the reason for their formation". TimesNow. 19 May 2022. -- 136.54.106.120 (talk) 19:46, 26 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

All auroras are ultimately caused by charged particles precipitating into the atmosphere. Since the magnetic field determines trajectories along which the particles move, the location and intensity of auroras depend on the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field. Local crustal fields also play some role. Ruslik_Zero 20:32, 27 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I only read the abstract of [1], but as far as I understand it they do not provide a new mechanism. They merely try to determine how the different factors interact to create aurorae of specific forms at specific points on Mars. Generally speaking there are two sources of magnetism at play: local magnetic fields on Mars and solar winds. -- Random person no 362478479 (talk) 17:12, 28 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]