Tag

Auroras

All articles tagged with #auroras

space16 hours ago•10 min saved

Webb spots Neptune's hidden auroras amid its tilted magnetosphere

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.

via Space Daily|

#auroras #h3 #james-webb-space-telescope

space3 days ago•5 min saved

Japan’s Crimson Aurora Signals Space Storms Stronger Than Official Metrics

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.

via Indian Defence Review|

#auroras #geomagnetic-storms #satellites

space18 days ago•5 min saved

Webb Discovers Neptune’s Hidden Auroras, Solving a 30-Year Mystery

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.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#auroras #infrared-astronomy #james-webb-space-telescope

space2 months ago•50 min saved

Midwest and beyond could see northern lights as solar storm approaches this weekend

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.

via Space|

#auroras #coronal-mass-ejection #geomagnetic-storm

stargazing2 months ago•55 min saved

Nine U.S. States Could See the Northern Lights Tonight

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.

via Space|

#auroras #geomagnetic-storm #noaa

astronomy2 months ago•55 min saved

JWST reveals Io’s cold footprint in Jupiter’s auroras

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.

via Space|

#astronomy #auroras #io

astronomy2 months ago•53 min saved

Ganymede's auroras echo Earth's northern lights, NASA finds

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.

via Space|

#astronomy #auroras #ganymede

science2 months ago•3 min saved

Webb Maps Uranus in 3D, Unveiling Its Tilted Magnetosphere

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.

via Futurism|

#atmosphere #auroras #james-webb-space-telescope

space3 months ago•97 min saved

JWST maps Uranus’s auroras and tilted magnetosphere in unprecedented detail

JWST mapped Uranus's upper atmosphere during a ~15-hour rotation, revealing two bright auroral belts around the planet's magnetic poles and a mid-latitude depletion region, along with a three-dimensional view of ion temperature and density up to about 5,000 km above the cloud tops. The data show Uranus’s highly tilted magnetosphere drives distinctive auroral patterns and that the atmosphere has cooled since the 1990s, offering clues about ice giants and exoplanet atmospheres.

via Live Science|

#atmosphere #auroras #james-webb-space-telescope

stargazing3 months ago•53 min saved

Orbiting camera spots vivid auroras over Iceland and Canada during a minor geomagnetic storm

A NASA/NOAA VIIRS satellite captured grayscale aurora displays over the Denmark Strait toward Iceland and across eastern Canada during a minor G1 geomagnetic storm on Feb. 16, 2026. The article explains auroras form when solar particles are channeled by Earth's magnetic field and collide with atmospheric gases, producing greens at mid-altitudes with possible magentas and reds at higher/lower altitudes; ground observers would have seen shimmering curtains under the right conditions.

via Space|

#auroras #denmark-strait #northern-lights

space3 months ago•1 min saved

Webb Telescope Maps Uranus’ Ionosphere in 3D

The European Space Agency reports that the James Webb Space Telescope used the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) to study Uranus’ upper atmosphere, focusing on its ionosphere up to about 5,000 km above the clouds and creating a full-rotation 3D map to probe the planet’s magnetic field and auroras. The measurements show the hottest regions at roughly 3,000–4,000 km altitude with ion densities around 1,000 km, offering new insights into Uranus’ enigmatic magnetosphere and ice-giant atmospheres more broadly.

via extremetech.com|

#auroras #ionosphere #magnetosphere

space-and-spaceflight3 months ago•16 min saved

Webb’s 17-hour stare at Uranus uncovers baffling auroras

The James Webb Space Telescope spent 17 hours peering at Uranus to map its upper atmosphere in three dimensions, revealing two bright auroral bands near the planet’s unusual magnetic poles and a depletion of ions between them. The observations show how Uranus’s tilted, offset magnetosphere shapes energy flow and auroral activity, with the upper atmosphere still cooling since the 1986 Voyager flyby, providing new insights into the dynamics of ice-giant atmospheres.

via Gizmodo|

#auroras #magnetosphere #space-and-spaceflight

space3 months ago•3 min saved

JWST maps Uranus's upper atmosphere in 3D, revealing auroras and magnetic quirks

Using JWST's NIRSpec, an international team mapped Uranus's upper atmosphere in 3D for the first time, detailing how temperature and ion density vary up to 5,000 km above the clouds. The study finds peak temperatures around 3,000–4,000 km and ion-density maxima near 1,000 km, with two bright auroral bands and a magnetic-field driven depletion region. The average upper-atmosphere temperature is about 426 K (roughly 150 C), and the atmosphere continues to cool since the 1990s, offering new insight into the energy balance of ice giants.

via European Space Agency|

#atmosphere #auroras #ionosphere

space3 months ago•50 min saved

NASA probes black auroras from Alaska with twin rocket missions

NASA launched two suborbital sounding rockets from Alaska’s Poker Flat Research Range to study the electrical environment of auroras. The BADASS mission investigated black auroras by sending instruments up to about 360 km, while the GNEISS mission used a pair of rockets to map the currents in the aurora, effectively creating a 3D view of the plasma. The data aim to improve understanding of geomagnetic activity that can affect satellites and astronauts.

via Space|

#aurora-borealis #auroras #badass

stargazing3 months ago•46 min saved

Rare Aurora Illuminates Brazilian Skies During Major Geomagnetic Storm

A photographer captured a rare aurora over Brazil amid a powerful geomagnetic storm, marking a rare sight of the northern lights in Brazil.

via Space|

#aurora #auroras #brazil