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Mars isn't "space." It has an atmosphere. It's thin, but it's enough to stop solar flares from killing people on the surface. Earth's magnetosphere could dis
by danielweber 12y ago
Mars isn't "space." It has an atmosphere. It's thin, but it's enough to stop solar flares from killing people on the surface.
Earth's magnetosphere could disappear today, and whatever other chaos that causes, Earth's atmosphere would still deflect most charged and uncharged particles from space. The magnetosphere has no effect on the uncharged particles, remember.
The moderate-level long-term cosmic radiation will probably be an issue for colonists, making cancer quite likely for anyone spending 40+ years there.
- cwyers 12y ago> The moderate-level long-term cosmic radiation will probably be an issue for colonists, making cancer quite likely for anyone spending 40+ years there. But instead of saying that, you decided to say: > This is plain silly. "Solar wind" is absolutely no danger to people on the surface of Mars, at all. instead. So, uh, I guess you win one Internet for pedantry.
- danielweber 12y agoFor people designing Mars missions, the distinction between solar radiation and cosmic radiation is really, really, really important. (In fact, CMEs often decrease cosmic radiation.)