Auroras form when electrons from space ride waves in Earth’s magnetic field

The same physics could give rise to auroras on Jupiter and Saturn

night sky with green glow

New lab experiments confirm that disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field called Alfvén waves send electrons careening into the atmosphere to light up auroras.

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By re-creating the conditions for an aurora in the lab, researchers have confirmed how these bright, shimmery curtains of light form.