Saturnian Aurora
Credit & Copyright: J. Trauger (JPL),
NASA
Explanation:
Girdling
the second largest planet in the Solar System,
Saturn's Rings
are one of the most spectacular sights for earthbound
telescopes.
This image from the orbiting
Hubble Space Telescope's
STIS instrument,
offers a striking view of another kind of
ring around Saturn -
pole encircling rings of
ultraviolet
aurora.
Towering more than 1,000 miles above the
cloud tops, these Saturnian auroral
displays are
analogous to Earth's.
Energetic charged particles in the
Solar Wind are
funneled by the planet's magnetic
field into polar regions
where they interact with atmospheric gases.
Following the ebb and flow of
Saturn's aurora, researchers can
remotely explore the planet's atmosphere and
magnetic field.
In
this false color image, the dramatic
red aurora identify emission from atomic
hydrogen, while the more concentrated white areas are
due to hydrogen
molecules.
In 2004, NASA plans to begin making close-up studies of the
Saturnian system with the
Cassini Spacecraft.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
