And it's the only one of its kind we've seen. 🤔 engineering
The researchers found that, unlike any other planet observed to date, Saturn generates aurorae by swirling winds within its own atmosphere, and not only from the magnetosphere surrounding the planet — as is theThe new discovery shows that Saturn has a truly unique aurora, and it is the only one known to truly live up to the name"Aurora Borealis", which was designated before humans knew the precise science behind the stunning natural light show.
"It's absolutely thrilling to be able to provide an answer to one of the longest-standing questions in our field. This is likely to initiate some rethinking about how local atmospheric weather effects on a planet impact the creation of aurorae, not just in our own Solar System but farther afield too," University of Leicester Ph.D.
first arrived at Saturn, it tracked radio emission 'pulses' from the planet's atmosphere in an attempt to try to measure its bulk rotation rate. Doing this would allow scientists to determine the length of the ringed planet's days. To the surprise of NASA's ground team, the rate appeared to have changed since NASA's Voyager 2, the previous spacecraft to have flown past Saturn, took readings in 1981.