Mars Nights

Mars lost much of its atmosphere due to a combination of solar wind stripping and the planet’s weak magnetic field.

Around 4 billion years ago, Mars likely had a denser atmosphere and liquid water on its surface.

However, unlike Earth, Mars lacks a global magnetic field to shield its atmosphere from charged particles emitted by the Sun.

As a result, solar wind gradually eroded the Martian atmosphere, particularly lighter elements like hydrogen and oxygen.

NASA’s MAVEN mission confirmed that high-energy particles continue to ionize and accelerate atmospheric particles into space, especially during solar storms.

The planet’s low gravity further contributes to its inability to retain atmospheric gases, leading to the thin, CO₂-dominated atmosphere observed today.