Jupiter sure knows how to party. The gas giant has put on a聽beautiful聽light show in the form of auroras at its north pole. The Hubble Space Telescope captured the display.
Unlike the auroras here on Earth, which show up as visible light, Jupiter鈥檚聽electric blue whirl is ultraviolet, so you wouldn鈥檛 be able to see it聽as depicted in the composite image above. But Hubble is able to capture the incredible detail.
We will soon get an even closer look. Auroras are created when high-energy particles from the solar wind interact with a聽planet鈥檚 magnetic field. Next week, NASA鈥檚 Juno probe arrives at Jupiter, where it will be able to study this interaction up close. Researchers plan to combine its readings with those made by Hubble.
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The team have also captured a timelapse video of the Jovian aurora as it crossed over the pole.
鈥�These auroras are very dramatic and among the most active I have ever seen,鈥�听蝉补颈诲 聽at the University of Leicester, UK, who is leading the work. 鈥�It almost seems as if Jupiter is throwing a firework party for the imminent arrival of Juno.鈥�
