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The Sun will be at peak activity this year, providing a rare opportunity to study how solar storms and radiation could affect future astronauts on the Red Planet.<\/em><\/p>\n In the months ahead, two of NASA\u2019s Mars spacecraft will have an unprecedented opportunity to study how solar flares \u2014 giant explosions on the Sun\u2019s surface \u2014 could affect robots and future astronauts on the Red Planet.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because the Sun is entering a period of peak activity called solar maximum, something that occurs roughly every 11 years. During solar maximum, the Sun is especially prone to throwing fiery tantrums in a variety of forms \u2014 including solar flares and coronal mass ejections \u2014 that launch radiation deep into space. When a series of these solar events erupts, it\u2019s called a solar storm.<\/p>\n Earth\u2019s magnetic field largely shields our home planet from the effects of these storms. But Mars lost its global magnetic field long ago, leaving the Red Planet more vulnerable to the Sun\u2019s energetic particles. Just how intense does solar activity get on Mars? Researchers hope the current solar maximum will give them a chance to find out. Before sending humans there, space agencies need to determine, among many other details, what kind of radiation protection astronauts would require.<\/p>\n \n