New research from the University of Colorado at Boulder reveals that areas of the surface of Mars may be protected from the full force of solar radiation by areas of intensely magnetized crust. The startling vision of Mars’ magnetosphere is being explored by David Brain, a doctoral student at CU-Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics and his research advisor, Professor Fran Bagenal, using magnetometer data from NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. Brain’s research has implications for the escape of atmospheric gases into space and climate evolution on the red planet, as well as the radiation environment of these areas — possibly making them safer landing sites for future human expeditions.