Tag

Auroras

All articles tagged with #auroras

space5 days ago•94 min saved

SMILE Satellite Begins Science Ops, Capturing Daytime Auroras in First UV Images

The joint European-Chinese SMILE satellite officially began science operations on September 23, 2026, after a successful commissioning phase. Its first ultraviolet images, captured on July 24, reveal auroras visible in broad daylight over the North Pole. The mission aims to study solar wind interactions with Earth's magnetic field, with its X-ray imager currently undergoing calibration to reduce stray light before targeting the magnetopause in mid-October.

via livescience.com|

#auroras #esa #smile

space8 days ago•119 min saved

SMILE Satellite Captures First Full View of Earth’s Daytime Auroras

The Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) has released its first ultraviolet images, revealing the full ring of northern lights encircling Earth’s North Pole. Captured on July 24, 2026, the footage shows auroral activity on both the day and night sides of the planet, a capability not seen since 2008. This marks the start of science operations for the joint European-Chinese mission, which aims to improve understanding of solar storms and space weather.

via Space|

#auroras #esa #smile

science17 days ago•0 min saved

MeerKAT Telescope Confirms First Radio Signal from Exoplanet Beta Pictoris b

Astronomers have detected the first unambiguous radio signals from an exoplanet, Beta Pictoris b, using South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope. The signals, likely caused by auroral activity, reveal a magnetic field roughly 1,250 gauss, thousands of times stronger than Earth’s. This breakthrough allows scientists to study planetary magnetic fields and atmospheric interactions directly, moving beyond simple detection to characterize distant worlds.

via Gizmodo|

#astronomy #auroras #exoplanets

space18 days ago•4 min saved

Direct Radio Signal From an Exoplanet Unveils Its Magnetic Field

Astronomers using the MeerKAT array detected short, highly circularly polarized radio bursts from exoplanet Beta Pictoris b, marking the first time a radio signal has been unambiguously localized to an exoplanet. The emission matches auroral processes (ECMI) and implies a very strong magnetic field—thousands of times stronger than Earth's—likely powered by rapid rotation, with plans to study more giant exoplanets as next‑gen radio observatories come online.

via ScienceAlert|

#auroras #beta-pictoris-b #exoplanets

space2 months ago•159 min saved

Auroras During the Aug. 12 Eclipse: Possible, but Extremely Rare

Experts say it’s physically possible to see the northern lights during the Aug. 12, 2026 total solar eclipse, but the odds are very low. A strong geomagnetic storm (G4–G5) would need to align with the eclipse so daytime auroral activity appears in the sky near totality, and even then the sun’s corona during totality would typically outshine auroras near the Sun. Greenland or Iceland offer the best near-eclipse viewing, but overall it remains a rare coincidence; a pre-eclipse CME or the Perseid meteor shower could raise the odds, but expect it to be a rare sight if space weather cooperates at all.

via Space|

#auroras #eclipse #geomagnetic-storm

space3 months ago•96 min saved

Space Station Captures Neon-Green Aurora Over Earth

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.

via Space|

#aurora-australis #auroras #iss

space3 months ago•81 min saved

Artemis II Captures Rare Twin Auroras on Earth’s Nightside

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.

via Live Science|

#artemis-ii #auroras #earth-from-space

science4 months ago•36 min saved

Magnetic Weather Detected on Distant Giant Exoplanets

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.

via Earth.com|

#astronomy #auroras #exoplanets

space4 months ago•58 min saved

Earth‑bound cannibal CME from rare anti‑Hale sunspot sparks auroras across 23 states

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.

via Live Science|

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

science4 months ago•5 min saved

Moonlit Earth Emerges in a New Artemis II Full-Disk View

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.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#artemis-ii #auroras #earth-from-space

space4 months ago•73 min saved

Sun unleashes triple solar flares, boosting chances for vivid northern lights

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).

via Space|

#auroras #coronal-mass-ejections #solar-flares

astronomy4 months ago•73 min saved

First Signs of Exoplanet Magnetic Fields Seen in Furious Winds

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.

via Space|

#astronomy #auroras #exoplanets

space4 months 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

space4 months 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

space5 months 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