NASA's Webb space telescope captures Neptune's auroras for first time

27/3/2025 6:02

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured bright auroral activity on Neptune for the first time, NASA said on Wednesday.

The data was obtained in June 2023 using Webb's Near-Infrared Spectrograph. In addition to the image of the planet, astronomers obtained a spectrum to characterize the composition and measure the temperature of the planet's upper atmosphere, according to NASA.

For the first time, astronomers found an extremely prominent emission line signifying the presence of the trihydrogen cation, which can be created in auroras, said NASA.

In the Webb images of Neptune, the glowing aurora appears as splotches represented in cyan.

Auroras occur when energetic particles, often originating from the Sun, become trapped in a planet's magnetic field and eventually strike the upper atmosphere. The energy released during these collisions creates the signature glow.

In the past, astronomers have seen tantalizing hints of auroral activity on Neptune. However, imaging and confirming the auroras on Neptune has long evaded astronomers despite successful detections on Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus, according to NASA.