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Webb Telescope Captures Jupiter’s “Fizzing” Auroras, Revealing Unexpected Light Show

Three panels, each showing a close-up near-infrared image of Jupiter’s north pole, in shades of orange. The planet is mostly dark. Thick, bright arcs and rings caused by aurorae cover the pole. The centre and right panels each show the aurora a few minutes later in time, as Webb’s field of view slowly scans over the planet.

Jupiter’s northern lights are putting on a more dynamic and puzzling light show than scientists ever expected. New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) reveal that the gas giant’s auroras can flicker and change within seconds, challenging previous understandings of how these massive light displays behave. The findings, published May 12 in Nature … Read more

The post Webb Telescope Captures Jupiter’s “Fizzing” Auroras, Revealing Unexpected Light Show appeared first on European Space Agency Tracker.