It is what we could call a surprise attack. One launched without warning against Mars, in the form of a fiery cloud of plasma that, according to scientists, could strip the red planet of a good part of its already tenuous and deteriorating atmosphere. It is a coronal mass ejection, launched by a sudden explosion on the far side of the Sun and whose impact with Mars is expected this Friday. The unexpected solar flare was detected by several satellites in Earth orbit on August 26, and a more detailed analysis revealed that it was a class M flare, the second most powerful type of solar flare that exists. The experts, however,… See more
