Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Science

What makes Mars' magnetotail flap? Two spacecraft point to magnetic reconnection

The sun continuously blasts charged, magnetic field-carrying particles, or plasma, in all directions. This solar wind interacts with the magnetic fields and atmospheres of several of our solar system's planets and other bodies, sculpting long magnetic tails of charged particles—magnetotails—that str...

What makes Mars' magnetotail flap? Two spacecraft point to magnetic reconnection
Image: Phys.org
The sun continuously blasts charged, magnetic field-carrying particles, or plasma, in all directions. This solar wind interacts with the magnetic fields and atmospheres of several of our solar system's planets and other bodies, sculpting long magnetic tails of charged particles—magnetotails—that stretch into space behind them.

Originally published at Phys.org

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