Giant Waves of Solar Wind May Have Stripped Mars of Its Atmosphere, New Study Finds

Image: Mars, as captured in a color mosaic by Viking Orbiter 1 (PIA04304). Image credit: NASA/USGS. Article by Passant Rabie. Gizmodo – August 4, 2026. Research article: Science Advances.

Although Mars is a frigid and hostile world today, the Red Planet may have once been capable of hosting some form of life. Unlike Earth, Mars lacks a strong magnetic field to protect it against incoming solar wind. As a result, the Sun’s stream of charged particles may have gradually stripped Mars of its atmosphere similar to how wind blows across the surface of water, according to a new study. […]

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Video: Is This How Mars Lost Its Atmosphere? – NASA Goddard