Tag: Auroral Activity

Mars has Auroras!

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Auroras on Earth are caused by the ionization of atoms high in the atmosphere near the north and south magnetic poles.  The solar wind flies toward the Earth and this harmful radiation is blocked and funnelled by our magnetic field, creating harmless, beautiful glows that remind us how close we came to total destruction, but were saved by our planet.  Do other planets have auroras? Certainly! Jupiter and Saturn do, and even moons like Ganymede can have auroral activity.  It really depends on the magnetic field.  So how does a planet like Mars, with no magnetic field, have auroras? This...

Other Planets have Aurorae too! Even Mars!

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With all the talk of the large geomagnetic storm of the past few days, it’s important to understand that other worlds have beautiful auroral activity as well.  Being on Earth and seeing the gorgeous displays that result from our magnetic field protecting us from harmful solar radiation, the best views come from Earth.  But there are several other places in our own solar system that have aurora. Jupiter has a massive magnetic field, and its gigantic aurora are visible here. Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is the only moon in the solar system that has auroral activity. Saturn has its own, discovered...