Mapping the sun's interaction with Mercury's surface

A new study maps the infall of protons and electrons from the solar wind to geographical location on the surface of Mercury, giving scientists new insight into how interactions with the sun alters the surface and produces ...

Energy from solar wind favors the north

Using information from ESA's Swarm satellite constellation, scientists have made a discovery about how energy generated by electrically-charged particles in the solar wind flows into Earth's atmosphere—surprisingly, more ...

Icebreaker leaves Australia after 150 Antarctica trips

The giant orange icebreaker Aurora Australis left Australia for the final time on Saturday after more than 150 trips to Antarctica. Next stop: a shipyard in Dubai, where it will be refurbished and either leased or sold.

Jupiter's atmosphere heats up under solar wind

New Earth-based telescope observations show that auroras at Jupiter's poles are heating the planet's atmosphere to a greater depth than previously thought—and that it is a rapid response to the solar wind.

Image: Aurora Australis

Many people hope to catch a glimpse of these reddish-green swirls of colour floating in the polar skies. Few are as lucky as ESA astronaut Tim Peake, who captured this dazzling display of the aurora Australis from the International ...

Image: Antennas and auroras

This photograph, taken a short hike from the Geographic South Pole in Antarctica, shows some of the antennas comprising the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) array. They are visible here as the chain of antennas ...

Image: A sinister-looking aurora over Iceland

This whirling, twisting skyscape is an arresting and somewhat intimidating sight – a perfect Halloween Space Science Image of the Week. Jagged lanes in shades of dark and pale green tangle with bright patches of white, ...

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