KEY TERMS

• • Auroras

    Auroras are the emission of different types of light (infrared, visible, ultraviolet, or x-ray) from the upper atmosphere of a planet that is caused by electrically charged particles striking atoms of gases in the atmosphere from above. On Earth, we often call auroras the northern and southern lights. Jupiter has auroras that are many times more brilliant and powerful than Earth’s. Auroras are a consequence of a planet having a magnetic field, and Jupiter’s are influenced greatly by the planet’s fast rotation.