An Auroral Ring on Jupiter
Explanation:
Do other planets have aurora?
Terrestrial
and spacecraft observations have found evidence for aurora on
Venus,
Mars,
Jupiter,
Saturn,
Uranus, and
Neptune.
In the
above
false-color photograph, a good portion of an
auroral ring was captured recently in optical light by the
Galileo spacecraft
in orbit around
Jupiter.
Auroral rings
encircle a planet's magnetic pole, and result from charged particles
spiraling down magnetic field lines. Although the surroundings near
Jupiter are much different than
Earth, the
auroral rings appear similar.
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.
