auroras

Swirling winds in Saturn’s atmosphere trigger never-before-seen auroras

by

Some of Saturn’s auroras may be caused by swirling winds within the planet’s own atmosphere, a previously unknown mechanism of triggering these colorful displays not seen on any other planet before, new research suggests.  Auroras are usually driven by the interaction of energized particles flowing from the planet’s magnetosphere into its atmosphere. On Earth, auroras … Read more

Jupiter’s auroras arise from a magnetic ‘tug-of-war’ with volcanic eruptions on its moon Io

by

Jupiter’s auroras are caused by a cosmic game of “tug-of-war,” fueled by volcanoes on the planet’s innermost moon, Io, new research suggests.  NASA’s Juno spacecraft and Hubble Space Telescope have revealed new evidence suggesting Jupiter’s rapid rotation and the release of sulfur and oxygen from volcanoes on Io — the most volcanically active world in … Read more

How a Magnetic ‘Tug-of-War’ With Io’s Volcanic Eruptions Creates Jupiter’s Auroras

by

Jupiter’s auroras – the lights that dance around its poles – are the most distinct in our solar system and over a thousand times brighter than Earth’s aurora. Now, a new study confirms that these otherworldly polar lights come from a unique source: space lava.   Jupiter‘s moon Io is the most volcanically active world in the solar … Read more

Arctic ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse of 2021 changed southern auroras. Here’s how.

by

A solar eclipse on one side of Earth stimulated aurora displays on the opposite side of our planet, according to a new study. The “ring of fire” or annular solar eclipse of June 10, 2021, passed over sparsely-populated regions near and within the Arctic Circle in Canada, Greenland and Russia, and appeared as a partial … Read more

Do Auroras Make Sounds We Can Hear? The True Answer Is Surprisingly Complicated

by

It’s a question that has puzzled observers for centuries: do the fantastic green and crimson light displays of the aurora borealis produce any discernible sound? Conjured by the interaction of solar particles with gas molecules in Earth’s atmosphere, the aurora generally occurs near Earth’s poles, where the magnetic field is strongest. Reports of the aurora … Read more

41,000 years ago, auroras blazed near the equator

by

If you want to be dazzled by a spectacular northern lights display, your best bet is to skywatch near the North Pole. But that wasn’t the case 41,000 years ago, when a disruption of Earth’s magnetic field sent auroras wandering toward the equator. During this geomagnetic disturbance, known as the Laschamp event or the Laschamp … Read more

Earth’s Tilted Magnetic Field 41,000 Years Ago Pushed The Auroras to Unexpected Places

by

If you want to be dazzled by a spectacular northern lights display, your best bet is to skywatch near the North Pole. But that wasn’t the case 41,000 years ago, when a disruption of Earth’s magnetic field sent auroras wandering toward the equator.   During this geomagnetic disturbance, known as the Laschamp event or the Laschamp excursion, … Read more