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NASA’s Webb Captures Neptune’s Auroras For First Time
- NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured bright auroral activity on Neptune for the first time, revealing the long-sought auroral glow.
- Auroras on Neptune are caused by energetic particles trapped in the planet's magnetic field, creating a distinctive glow when they collide with the upper atmosphere.
- Previous attempts to image and confirm auroras on Neptune were challenging, making it the missing piece in understanding auroral activity on the giant planets in our solar system.
- Using Webb's near-infrared sensitivity, researchers were able to capture detailed images of the auroras on Neptune, showcasing the uniqueness of its auroral activity.
- The data collected by Webb also revealed the presence of the trihydrogen cation (H3+) in Neptune's atmosphere, a clear sign of auroral activity.
- Unlike Earth, Jupiter, or Saturn, Neptune's auroras are located at mid-latitudes due to the planet's tilted magnetic field, offering new insights into its atmospheric dynamics.
- The discovery of Neptune's auroras will aid in understanding its magnetic field interactions with solar particles and provide valuable information for future studies.
- Webb's observations indicated a significant temperature drop in Neptune's upper atmosphere since 1989, impacting the intensity of the detected auroral activity.
- Future studies using Webb aim to explore Neptune over a solar cycle to unravel mysteries related to its magnetic field and atmospheric dynamics.
- This groundbreaking research on Neptune's auroras was led by a team of astronomers and has been published in Nature Astronomy.
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