Mars is known to host a variety of auroral processes (Bertaux et al. 2005, Schneider et al. 2015, Lillis et al. 2022) despite the planet’s tenuous atmosphere and lack of a global magnetic field. The first detection of visible-wavelength aurora at 557.7 nm was made in 2024 by the SuperCam and Mastcam-Z instruments on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover (Knutsen et al. 2025 (in press)), which represented the first observation of aurora from any planetary surface other than Earth, the first detection of visible-wavelength aurora at Mars, and demonstrates that auroral forecasting at Mars is possible. During events with higher particle precipitation, or under less dusty atmospheric conditions, green aurorae will be visible to future astronauts. 

 Here we present the results of all detection attempts made to date using the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. We describe the selected solar storms as they were forecasted, and compare with orbital particle and plasma measurements from MAVEN and Mars Express leading up to and during each event, along with the resulting surface aurora detection attempts.

 A total of eight detection attempts have been made between May 2023 and August 2024. Two of the targeted solar storms led to successful identification of green aurora at Mars with the SuperCam and Mastcam-Z instruments on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover.

 References

Bertaux, J.-L., et al. "Discovery of an aurora on Mars." Nature 435.7043 (2005): 790-794.

Schneider, N. M., et al. "Discovery of diffuse aurora on Mars." Science 350.6261 (2015): aad0313.

Lillis, R. J., et al. "First synoptic images of FUV discrete aurora and discovery of sinuous aurora at Mars by EMM EMUS." Geophysical Research Letters 49.16 (2022): e2022GL099820.

Knutsen, E. W., et al. (in press), “First detection of visible-wavelength aurora on Mars”, Science Advances (2025).