Jupiter’s intense auroras superheat its upper atmosphere
Heat spawned by high-speed charged particles slamming into the air above the poles spreads far
![illustration of magnetic fields moving charged particles to Jupiter's poles where auroras form](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/080621_sp_jupiter-auroras_feat.jpg?fit=1030%2C580&ssl=1)
Jupiter’s magnetic field lines (blue) steer charged particles in the solar wind toward the planet’s poles, generating auroras (white) similar to Earth’s. High-altitude winds then carry heat (red) from the auroras toward Jupiter’s equator, warming the planet’s upper atmosphere, as shown in this artist’s illustration, which overlays a visible light image of the planet.
J. O'Donoghue/JAXA, Hubble/NASA, ESA, A. Simon, J. Schmidt