Jupiter's Aurora

The Hubble telescope's sharp view of the rapid, spectacular dance of luminescent gases high in Jupiter's atmosphere - better known as aurora - is allowing astronomers to map Jupiter's immense magnetic field and better understand how it generates such phenomena. The aurorae are the bright, circular features at the top and bottom of the planet.

These images, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, reveal changes in Jupiter's auroral emissions and how small auroral spots just outside the emission rings are linked to the planet's volcanic moon, Io.

The images represent the most sensitive and sharply-detailed views ever taken of Jovian auroras.