Jupiter 'energy crisis' caused by auroras, scientists find in new study
By Elizabeth Howell - Contributing Writer about 6 hours ago
Scientists think that auroras could be behind mysterious heating on Jupiter. (Image credit: J. O'Donoghue (JAXA)/Hubble/NASA/ESA/A. Simon/J. Schmidt)
Jupiter's mysterious "energy crisis" that has puzzled astronomers for 50 years could be caused by auroras, new observations suggest.
The largest planet in our solar system has long been known to be remarkably warm, despite its great distance from the sun. Jupiter lies more than 5 astronomical units, or sun-Earth distances away (1 AU is million miles (150 million kilometers).
There's so little sunlight that far from the sun that Jupiter's upper atmosphere should be frigid, scientists estimate it should be about -100 degrees Fahrenheit (-73 degrees Celsius), according to a NASA statement. However, the average temperature in Jupiter's upper atmosphere is a roasting 800 degrees F (426 C) — almost as hot as the surface of the hellish planet Venus.
For decades, astronomers have debated what was causing this "energy crisis," as they have called it, on Jupiter. Now, a new study has found that the planet's intense auroras, fueled by the planet's strong magnetic field, are what is causing temperatures to soar.
More:
https://www.space.com/jupiter-auroras-cause-mystery-heating?utm_source=notification