This rare event holds crucial importance for future space exploration endeavors, particularly planned missions involving human presence on Mars and the establishment of a scientific outpost on the moon. Unlike Earth, which is shielded by its magnetic field against potent solar outbursts, the moon and Mars lack such protective magnetospheres, exposing their surfaces to higher levels of radiation.
The impact of this radiation on astronauts can be severe. Exposure to elevated radiation doses can result in skin irritation, nausea, blood disorders, weakened immunity, and even cancer, as documented in a 2014 study published in the journal Life. In acute cases, radiation can cause burns and neurological degeneration. Though the recent CME registered a relatively mild 31 milligray (compared to a dangerous threshold of around 700 milligray), the frequency and intensity of CMEs are anticipated to escalate as the sun nears the peak of its 11-year solar activity cycle, projected to start around the end of 2023.
