The majestic Northern and Southern Lights have mystified humans for millennia. During the long, dark nights of winter — when the space weather is right — green and purple clouds can blanket polar skies from horizon to horizon. The glowing lights dance and move in curtains and arcs, building up to a crescendo of color before they disappear.
Earth’s aurorae aren’t alone in our solar system either. Telescope observations and visiting spacecraft have found evidence for aurorae on Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus — and even exoplanets. And with a recent discovery about Jupiter’s mysterious “dawn aurora” released in the journal AGU Advances, astronomers continue to unravel the mysteries of these lights across our solar system.
(Credit: Roen Kelly/Discover)
