New Delhi: 

Neptune is about 30 Astronomical units from the Sun, with each AU being the distance between the Earth and the Sun. At such a great distance, Neptune only receives 11 per cent of the Solar Irradiation for the same surface area as the Earth. The auoral activity on Neptune is also unique because of the strange magnetic field of the planet. The auroras on Earth, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus are all located on the poles, while the Auroras on Neptune are located in the mid-latitudes. The magnetic field of Neptune is titled 47 degrees from the axis of rotation of the planet, something that was discovered by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989.

The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted auroras on Neptune for the first time. Astronomers have spotted hints of auroral activity on Neptune, but direct imaging has eluded astronomers so far, who have captured auroras on Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. The exquisite infrared sensitivity of Webb allowed for scientists to observe the phenomenon. The glowing auroras appear as cyan splotches. Auroras are caused by energetic particles, primarily from the Sun interacting with a planetary magnetic field.

A groundbreaking detection

The detection of auroras around Neptune will help scientists better understand how the magnetic field of Neptune is interacting with the energetic particles streaming out of the Sun, and how space weather influences even the most distant residents of the Solar System. The interactions also improve the understanding of the atmospheric science of ice giants. The exquisite sensitivity of Webb in infrared frequencies also allowed astronomers to measure the temperature in the upper layers of the atmosphere of Neptune, for the first time since the flyby by Voyager 2. Neptune’s upper atmosphere has appeared to have cooled by several hundred degrees. Auroras are more difficult to detect on planets with cooler atmospheres. A paper describing the findings has been published in Nature.

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