Aurora
The glow produced when energetic particles from the magnetosphere spiral down Earth's magnetic-field lines and excite gases in the upper atmosphere — the visible signature of space weather over the polar regions.
Imagery
Hubble Captures Vivid Auroras in Jupiter’s Atmosphere
Astronomers are using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to study auroras — stunning light shows in a planet’s atmosphere — on the poles of the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter.
2016
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center · NASA media (public domain)
Environment & effects
Knowledge connections
- AffectsEarth
- Associated withGeomagnetic Storm
- Associated withThe Ionosphere
- Associated withAurorasaurus
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
- NOAA Solar CalculatorNOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory
Public-domain solar-position geometry: sunrise, sunset, solar noon, twilight, declination, and the equation of time.
Public domain (US Government work).