Voyager 2 flew past Neptune in 1989 and detected faint hints of auroras it couldn’t explain — because the magnetic field is tilted 47 degrees off the rotation axis and the auroras were glowing in entirely the wrong place
https://atlas.whatip.xyz/post.php?slug=voyager-2-flew-past-neptune-in-1989-and-detected-faint-hints-of-auroras-it-couldnt-explain-because-the-magnetic-field-is-tilted-47-degrees-off-the-rotation-axis-and-the-auroras-were-glowing-in-entirely-the-wrong-place<p>The James Webb Space Telescope has captured direct evidence of auroras on Neptune
#auroras #neptune #voyager #were
Voyager 2 flew past Neptune in 1989 and detected faint hints of auroras it couldn’t explain — because the magnetic field is tilted 47 degrees off the rotation axis and the auroras were glowing in entirely the wrong place
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured direct evidence of auroras on Neptune, according to findings published in Nature Astronomy, with lead author Henrik Melin of Northumbria University. The obs...
👹🔴 Researchers from #Hokkaido University and the #Okinawa Institute of #Science and #Technology analyzed five auroral events over #Japan from June 2024 to March 2025, combining satellite #data with #photos from citizen skywatchers.
They found that red #auroras reached unusually high altitudes (500-800 km) during #storms previously classified as moderate, suggesting #solar activity may be stronger than standard measurements indicate. The findings have practical implications for #satellites in low #Earth orbit, because heated upper #atmosphere expands and creates extra drag on #spacecraft.
👉 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260521072359.htm
#weather #magnetosphere #science #geophysics #space #ionosphere
Scientists discover towering red auroras reaching deep into space above Japan
Mysterious red auroras spotted over Japan were found reaching astonishingly high altitudes, even during space storms considered relatively mild. The discovery suggests hidden solar activity may be stronger than scientists realized — with potential consequences for satellites orbiting Earth.
Study Finds High-Altitude Red Auroras May Reveal Underestimated Geomagnetic Storms
📰 Original title: Japan’s Red Aurora Mystery Just Got a Lot More Complicated, And Satellites Could Pay the Price
🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️
View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/study-finds-high-altitude-red-auroras-may-reveal-underestimated-geomagnetic-storms.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world
#astronomy #auroras #spacewe...
Study Finds High-Altitude Red Auroras May Reveal Underestimated Geomagnetic Storms
A recent study conducted by researchers from Hokkaido University and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology has revealed that unusual red auroras observed over Japan may indicate that some geomagnetic storms are stronger than current measurement systems suggest. The research analyzed five auroral events recorded between June 2024 and March 2025 in Hokkaido, Japan. Scientists discovered that these red auroras extended between 500 and 800 kilometers above Earth’s surface, far higher than the 200 to 400 kilometers typically associated with auroras appearing at similar latitudes.
Auroras occur when charged solar particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field and collide with atmospheric gases. Red auroras are usually linked to strong geomagnetic storms, but in these cases the storms were only classified as moderately intense according to the Dst index, a standard method used to measure geomagnetic activity. Researchers believe the index may underestimate storm intensity because dense solar wind can compress Earth’s magnetosphere and distort the measurements used to calculate storm strength.
The study also found that high-density solar wind appears to play a more important role in generating mid-latitude auroras than previously understood. Storms involving dense solar wind were more likely to produce the unusual auroras, even when wind speed was moderate.
Citizen scientists across Japan contributed significantly by providing photographs that helped researchers estimate the auroras’ altitude when observatories were affected by cloud cover. The findings may have practical implications for satellite safety because geomagnetic storms can heat and expand the upper atmosphere, increasing drag on low Earth orbit satellites. Similar atmospheric effects contributed to the loss of 38 Starlink satellites in 2022 after a geomagnetic storm that was not initially considered severe.
Study Finds High-Altitude Red Auroras May Reveal Underestimated Geomagnetic Storms
📰 Original title: Japan’s Red Aurora Mystery Just Got a Lot More Complicated, And Satellites Could Pay the Price
🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️
View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/study-finds-high-altitude-red-auroras-may-reveal-underestimated-geomagnetic-storms.html?utm_source=mastodon_social&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_social
#astronomy #auroras #space...
Study Finds High-Altitude Red Auroras May Reveal Underestimated Geomagnetic Storms
A recent study conducted by researchers from Hokkaido University and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology has revealed that unusual red auroras observed over Japan may indicate that some geomagnetic storms are stronger than current measurement systems suggest. The research analyzed five auroral events recorded between June 2024 and March 2025 in Hokkaido, Japan. Scientists discovered that these red auroras extended between 500 and 800 kilometers above Earth’s surface, far higher than the 200 to 400 kilometers typically associated with auroras appearing at similar latitudes.
Auroras occur when charged solar particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field and collide with atmospheric gases. Red auroras are usually linked to strong geomagnetic storms, but in these cases the storms were only classified as moderately intense according to the Dst index, a standard method used to measure geomagnetic activity. Researchers believe the index may underestimate storm intensity because dense solar wind can compress Earth’s magnetosphere and distort the measurements used to calculate storm strength.
The study also found that high-density solar wind appears to play a more important role in generating mid-latitude auroras than previously understood. Storms involving dense solar wind were more likely to produce the unusual auroras, even when wind speed was moderate.
Citizen scientists across Japan contributed significantly by providing photographs that helped researchers estimate the auroras’ altitude when observatories were affected by cloud cover. The findings may have practical implications for satellite safety because geomagnetic storms can heat and expand the upper atmosphere, increasing drag on low Earth orbit satellites. Similar atmospheric effects contributed to the loss of 38 Starlink satellites in 2022 after a geomagnetic storm that was not initially considered severe.
Faint red
#auroras as seen from Japan associated with intense magnetospheric compression:
https://www.swsc-journal.org/articles/swsc/full_html/2026/01/swsc250047/swsc250047.html -> Space storms light up Japan’s sky:
https://www.global.hokudai.ac.jp/news/26083/ - faint red auroras seen over Japan could be hiding space storms that are stronger than previously thought.
Faint red auroras as seen from Japan associated with intense magnetospheric compression | Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate
Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate, a link between all the communities involved in Space Weather and in Space Climate
Auroras over Australia look like sci-fi from space | Space photo of the day for May 15, 2026
https://atlas.whatip.xyz/post.php?slug=auroras-over-australia-look-like-sci-fi-from-space-space-photo-of-the-day-for-may-15-2026<p>An astronaut aboard the ISS captured the brilliant green and pink glow.</p>
#australia #auroras #space #photo
Auroras over Australia look like sci-fi from space | Space photo of the day for May 15, 2026
An astronaut aboard the ISS captured the brilliant green and pink glow.
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