All articles tagged with #auroras
ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot photographed a neon-green aurora australis from the International Space Station, showing vivid green swirls over a purple-tinged Earth and illustrating how solar wind creates auroras seen from space; Adenot described it as unusually bright and noted the crew’s excitement watching from a window.
NASA’s Artemis II crew photographed Earth from the nightside as their Orion spacecraft departed for the Moon, capturing a rare simultaneous display of northern and southern auroras. The moonlit Earth scene was illuminated by sunlight reflected off the Pink Moon, revealing city lights and other space phenomena like zodiacal light and Venus in a single frame.
Astronomers using the Very Large Telescope and Gemini North studied seven hot giant exoplanets and found a surprising link between wind speeds and temperature: the hottest worlds have slower winds, explained by strong magnetic fields acting as brakes. The inferred magnetic fields are about four times stronger than Saturn’s and roughly half as strong as Jupiter’s, a finding that could affect atmospheric retention and planetary survival, and possibly hint at spectacular auroral activity. The work opens a new window for exoplanet research, with future observatories like the Extremely Large Telescope expected to extend these methods to Earth-sized worlds.
A cannibal coronal mass ejection from sunspot 4455—a rare anti‑Hale sunspot—is expected to slam into Earth this afternoon, likely triggering strong geomagnetic storms (G3–G4) and widespread auroras visible as far south as 23 U.S. states, with NOAA projecting mid‑afternoon arrival and skywatchers from the Pacific Northwest to the Northeast potentially seeing the lights.
Astronauts aboard Artemis II captured a full-disk image of Earth lit by moonlight from the Orion spacecraft, revealing city lights, green auroras, and the zodiacal light, illustrating Earth as a dynamic solar-system body and highlighting how nighttime phenomena are studied from space.
Three major solar flares erupted from sunspot region 4455 in under 24 hours—M9.3, M7.9 and an X1—that triggered radio blackouts on Earth and launched Earth-directed CMEs. With geomagnetic storm activity expected (G1–G3) in the coming days, forecasters say auroras could appear at lower latitudes if the CMEs hit as anticipated (potentially around June 4–6).
Astronomers using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and Gemini North measured wind speeds on seven tidally locked, hot Jupiter–like exoplanets and found winds up to 15,530 mph, offering the first direct evidence of magnetic fields around planets beyond the solar system. The winds appear to slow with higher planetary temperatures due to magnetospheric braking, allowing researchers to infer magnetic-field strengths—roughly four times Saturn’s and about half Jupiter’s. The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, imply these worlds could host dramatic auroras and provide a new way to study exoplanet magnetospheres and atmospheric evolution.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope detected the H3+ auroral fingerprint in Neptune’s upper atmosphere, providing the first direct evidence of auroras on the ice giant and a map of their locations. The auroral ovals sit well away from Neptune’s rotational poles because the planet’s magnetic field is tilted about 47 degrees and offset from the center, explaining why Voyager 2 saw faint, misplaced hints in 1989. Webb’s observations also show the upper atmosphere was several hundred degrees cooler than Voyager’s measurements, helping to explain why H3+ signals had been hard to detect before. The findings reinforce Neptune’s oddly tilted magnetosphere, while leaving room for future measurements to build a temperature record and track auroral changes; there is no funded mission to return to Neptune yet.
New research finds red auroras over Japan extending to 500–800 km during moderately intense storms, higher than usually expected and suggesting standard indices may underestimate storm strength. The ASYM-H index often peaks 1.3–2.0 times SYM-H, implicating solar wind density (not just speed) as a key driver for mid-latitude auroras and atmospheric heating. Findings, aided by citizen scientists, have practical implications for satellite operations in low Earth orbit due to atmospheric drag and improved space weather forecasting.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has for the first time imaged Neptune’s auroras, solving a decades-long mystery. Webb’s near-infrared spectroscopy detected infrared auroral signatures and the H3+ ion, revealing mid-latitude auroras caused by Neptune’s tilted magnetic field, while the planet’s upper atmosphere has cooled substantially since the Voyager 2 flyby. Ongoing Webb observations will deepen understanding of Neptune’s magnetosphere and atmospheric dynamics.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center warns of a G2 geomagnetic storm on March 19 (UTC) as multiple coronal mass ejections head toward Earth. The activity could push the auroral oval far south, with potential sightings in mid-latitudes including Illinois and New York, depending on CME timing and local conditions. Impacts could begin as early as 11 p.m. ET on March 18, with strongest activity 2–8 a.m. ET on March 19 and possibly lingering into March 20, and a wider window increases the chance for aurora displays given clear skies and favorable magnetic orientation.
Space.com reports that a fast solar wind is expected to sweep past Earth tonight (March 13), potentially triggering a minor geomagnetic storm and making the northern lights visible across nine U.S. states (Alaska, North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Washington, and Maine) if skies are clear. Best viewing is tonight into Saturday, with auroras possibly reaching farther south if conditions strengthen, per NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured a surprising cold spot and unusually high ion density beneath Io’s auroral footprint on Jupiter, showing real-time interactions between the planet’s magnetic field and its Galilean moons. The cold patch (~265°C) and dense plasma arise from Io’s volcanic plumes feeding a surrounding plasma torus, altering the aurora as ions crash into Jupiter’s atmosphere. Scientists will pursue follow-up observations to determine how often these footprints occur, with the findings published in Geophysical Research Letters.
A 2021 Juno flyby showed Ganymede's ultraviolet auroras break into bead-like patches, not smooth ovals, mirroring Earth’s auroras and driven by Jupiter's magnetosphere; the finding by LPAP Liège researchers highlights Ganymede’s unique magnetic field and sets the stage for further study by the JUICE mission.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured Uranus’ upper atmosphere for nearly a full rotation, delivering the most detailed 3D view of its ionosphere and how energy moves through the atmosphere, where auroras form under the planet’s unusually tilted magnetic field, and it reinforces ideas about ongoing atmospheric cooling—while highlighting the uncertain outlook for a future Uranus mission.