aurora

Latest about aurora

Earth is surrounded by a giant magnetic bubble called the magnetosphere, which is part of a dynamic, interconnected system that responds to solar, planetary and interstellar conditions.

41,000 years ago, auroras blazed near the equator

By Mindy Weisberger published

A geomagnetic event around 41,000 years ago sent the aurora wandering for centuries, as far south as the equator.

Planet Earth
The northern lights could heat up the next couple of nights during a strong geomagnetic storm. Here, the brightness and location of the aurora is shown as a green oval centered on Earth’s magnetic pole. The green ovals turn red when the aurora is forecasted to be more intense. 

Solar storm brings the Northern Lights to the northern US

By Stephanie Pappas published

A strong solar storm is creating aurora-friendly conditions as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa and Oregon this week.

The Sun
The northern lights are seen over Teriberka, Russia, a village with the population of about 1,000 people, located some 120 km away from the city of Murmansk on the Russian Arctic coast on Oct. 30, 2021.

Halloween northern lights from huge solar flare thrill skywatchers

By Tariq Malik published

A huge solar flare from the sun has spawned a Halloween northern lights show that has stargazers over the moon.

Planet Earth
A solar flare leaps from the sun's surface.

Massive solar flare barreling toward Earth this Halloween

By Brandon Specktor published

The category G3 storm will hit Earth on COt. 30 and 31, potentially causing satellite navigation problems and driving auroras as far south as Washington state.

The Sun
Auroras on Uranus behave in unexpected ways.

Scientists create most detailed map of Uranus' mysterious auroras

By Tereza Pultarova published

Uranus
Four false-color images showing the southern aurora on Saturn. Scientists may have detected four brand-new planets, thanks to the glow of their auroras.

'Powerful auroras' on alien planets may be sending strange radio signals toward Earth

By Brandon Specktor published

Astronomers say strange radio signals around old, inactive stars may be the shimmering auroras of four alien worlds.

Extraterrestrial Life
European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet snapped a photo of a stunning aurora on Aug. 20 from the International Space Station.

Superbright aurora lights up Earth’s night side in incredible image from space

By Yasemin Saplakoglu published

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) captured a stunning new photo of the luminous green and red lights of an aurora hugging clouds swirling around Earth's night side.

Astronomy
An aurora spotted from the International Space Station.

Auroras expected tonight in New York, Washington and Wisconsin as solar storm barrels toward Earth

By Brandon Specktor published

A moderate solar storm is headed for Earth on September 27, 2021, with auroras predicted to light up the sky much further south than usual.

The Sun
Overlaid images of Jupiter's pole from NASA's satellite Juno and NASA's Chandra X-ray telescope. Left shows a projection of Jupiter's Northern X-ray aurora (purple) overlaid on a visible Junocam image of the North Pole. Right shows the Southern counterpart.

Mystery of Jupiter's powerful X-ray auroras finally solved

By Charles Q. Choi published

Mysterious flares of X-rays from Jupiter's auroras suggest that the giant planet's "northern lights" may possess unexpected similarities with those of Earth, a new study finds.

Jupiter
An illustration shows how electrons descend from space on Alfven waves to create the aurora borealis.

Electrons 'surf' across space to create the northern lights, new study finds

By Brandon Specktor published

Scientists found definitive proof that Alfven waves are accelerating electrons in solar wind across space, powering the northern lights.

Particle Physics
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