Aurora is a geomagnetic and atmospheric optical phenomenon arising from the interaction of charged particles, primarily electrons and protons from the solar wind and magnetospheric plasma, with atoms and molecules in a planet’s upper atmosphere. Guided by magnetic field lines into high-latitude auroral ovals, these particles precipitate and undergo collisional excitation and ionization of atmospheric species such as oxygen and nitrogen. Subsequent radiative de-excitation produces characteristic emissions, notably green and red lines of atomic oxygen and molecular nitrogen bands, forming dynamic structures including arcs, curtains, and patches whose morphology and intensity are modulated by magnetospheric dynamics and space weather conditions.
As NASA's Artemis II mission completed its lunar flyby, the astronauts sent back a stunning image of the colorful Earth setting behind the moon. This breathtaking photo, called Earthset, draws inevitable comparisons with ...
Space Exploration
Apr 12, 2026
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On Earth, extreme solar activity often appears as beautiful, benign auroras. But venturing beyond the safety of the Earth's magnetic field, one faces the full brunt of a temperamental star that can suddenly erupt with flares ...
Astronomy
Apr 9, 2026
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The Artemis II astronauts have captured our blue planet's brilliant beauty as they zoom ever closer to the moon.
Space Exploration
Apr 4, 2026
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A Southwest Research Institute-led study found that protons and heavy ions react differently to solar magnetic reconnection events, revealing a more complex magnetic engine powering the solar wind. Magnetic reconnection converts ...
Astronomy
Mar 31, 2026
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Researchers at Northumbria University have used the most powerful space telescope ever built to answer one of the longest-standing puzzles in planetary science—why does Saturn appear to spin at a different speed depending ...
Astronomy
Mar 27, 2026
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NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope have teamed up to capture new views of Saturn, revealing the planet in strikingly different ways. Observing in complementary wavelengths of light, the two space ...
Astronomy
Mar 25, 2026
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The Smile mission is set to launch on a Vega-C rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on Thursday, April 9, at 08:29 CEST/07:29 BST/03:29 local time.
Space Exploration
Mar 20, 2026
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What happens when a solar superstorm hits Mars? Thanks to the European Space Agency's Mars orbiters, we now know: glitching spacecraft and a supercharged upper atmosphere.
Astronomy
Mar 5, 2026
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An international team of scientists, led by a Ph.D. researcher from Northumbria University, has made further discoveries about a spectacular feature of Jupiter's northern lights, revealing a never-before-seen temperature ...
Astronomy
Mar 4, 2026
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Every winter, thousands of tourists travel to high-latitude regions like Scandinavia, Canada, and Alaska hoping to see the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. Vincent Ledvina, an aurora guide and Ph.D. student in space physics ...
Astronomy
Feb 24, 2026
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