Aurora isn't strictly limited to earth? Certainly Not! The earth's aurora, though unchallenged as the best in our galaxy, has serious contenders from other neighboring planets, namely Venus, Jupiter, Pluto, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Image
Courtesy
of:Planet-Facts
On
Earth,
aurora
is
formed by a process in which solar winds react with the earth's charged
atmospheric gases (plasmas) high up in the atmosphere (in a special
area called the magnetosphere), where they are then channeled by our
magnetic field to the Northern and Southern poles. Other planets,
interestingly enough, follow slightly different rules when they form
their auroras.
The hardware
necessities are the same from one planet to the next. The standard
requirement is an atmosphere structure, some accompanying plasma
and a group of incoming charged particles. If this equipment is
present, planets can grab onto charged particles, such as solar winds,
react with them in a display of fantastic colors, and then make them
dance across their atmosphere. Planets with
magnetospheres are able to
provide an exponentially stronger, more controlled grabbing force, and
are therefore able to forcibly
guide
particles all the
way to the
planet's poles. Planets with simply an atmosphere and no magnetosphere,
due to their weak channeling of charged particles, are unable to
provide the complete, marvelous aurora demonstration we magnetospheric
earthlings have come to adore and expect.
The basic behavior of
Saturn's aurora is very similar that on Earth.
Image
Courtesy: HubPages
Scientists
love
studying
Saturn's
aurora.
And
this
is
for good reason. The planet, like
Earth, is bombarded with solar winds, charged particles spat out from
the sun at all surrounding objects. Saturn's magnetosphere captures
these particles, greets them with reactive plasma, and then provides
escort service to its poles, just like our planet does. This is where
our commonalities end.
Saturn's magnetosphere
responds to more than just solar winds. Saturn will occasionally use
its magnetosphere to capture electromagnetic waves from its moons. When
this occurs, the result is a vivid aurora display!
Image Courtesy: Discovery
The
mysteries of
Saturn's aurora are still largely uncovered. For the first time ever
recorded, scientists have begun to unlock the intricacy of what has
been
called "Saturn's auroral heartbeat". Saturn's radiowave emissions,
which
occur once every eleven-hours, visually appear to give the planet a
pulsating heartbeat. Prior to this year, the rhythm of these pulses
where mysteriously unknown. There is still infinitely much research to
be done!
Image Courtesy: HubPages
Pictured above is an
ultraviolet image of Jupiter's aurora. Jupiter currently claims the
strongest magnetosphere in the galaxy. Jupiter's magnetic field has
given scientists readings of 4.2 Guass at its equator. By comparison,
Earth has managed to eek out only a 0.3 Guass reading. Because of
the intense magnetic field, Jupiter's magnetosphere is unimaginable
powerful, and as a result its plasma emission is responsible for most
of the radio waves in our tiny section of space.
Image Courtesy: Laughter
Genealogy
Image
Courtesy
Of:
Star
Surfin
