Mystery of Jupiter's northern lights solved after 40 years, scientists say

Mystery of Jupiter's northern lights solved after 40 years, scientists say
By
Katie Hunt, CNN
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Jupiter's mysterious X-ray auroras have been explained by combining data from NASA's Juno mission with X-ray observations from the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton. Credit: Jupiter Northern Lights Mystery
(CNN) — The aurora borealis, or northern lights, are Earth's greatest light show, dazzling those lucky enough to see them in the northernmost reaches of our planet.
It's a phenomenon shared by other planets in our solar system, including the largest, Jupiter, which is bathed in spectacular color at its poles.
Characterized by massive pulsating X-ray flares, Jupiter's northern lights were first discovered 40 years ago. Astronomers have long sought to explain the mechanism behind these auroras. NASA has called them "a powerful mystery."

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