The Solar System, comprising the Sun and the objects that orbit it, is estimated to be approximately 4.57 billion years old. This age is determined through various scientific methods, primarily focusing on the analysis of meteorites and other celestial bodies. The consistent results from these independent methods provide a high degree of confidence in this figure.
In May 2024, people worldwide witnessed beautiful aurorae that appeared far beyond Earth's polar regions. Even the Aurora Borealis, which is usually confined to the Arctic Circle, was visible as far south as Mexico. This rare event was the result of a massive solar storm, the most powerful recorded in over 20 years. As always, this storm bombarded Earth with charged solar particles that interacted with the planet's magnetosphere. The storm also reached Mars, which was witnessed by two orbiters operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) - the Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO).
