Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as the Northern Lights are the result of particles in our atmosphere colliding with particles emitted by solar winds. What results is a dazzling display of dancing colors in the northern reaches of our planet.
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Little did I know, the same phenomenon occurs on other planets in the solar system– namely Jupiter. The largest and most gaseous planet in our solar system might be home to the grandest display of northern lights ever seen via telescope.
Using ultraviolet sensitive coverage, the Hubble Space Telescope recently captured images that illustrate the vivid and beautiful nature of Jupiter’s northern lights. Not to mention, the timing could not be more opportune as NASA’s Juno spacecraft is set to arrive in Jupiter’s orbit in less than a week.
*Jupiter’s northern lights were first discovered by Voyager in 1976.