We all know Earth’s own little aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, is pretty spectacular.
But did you know we aren’t the only planet in our solar system that hosts it’s own “fireworks party” on a regular basis.
Back in June 2016, NASA released these amazing images of Jupiter’s own aurora, for the first time, and now they are being circulated again on Imgur.
Because quite frankly who doesn’t need something beautiful to look at in January.
Jonathan Nichols from The University of Lancaster, said: “These auroras are very dramatic and among the most active I have ever seen.”
Auroras are created around a planet’s poles when high-energy particles enter the planet’s atmosphere, near its magnetic poles, and collide with atoms of gas.
The largest planet in our solar system is renowned for its colourful storms – the most famous of all is the Great Red Spot – but it seems it is also capable of creating huge auroras.
At hundreds of times bigger and more energetic than our own auroras, they also never cease. Unlike those on Earth.
On our own blue planet the most intense auroras are caused by solar storms — when charged particles rain down on the upper atmosphere, excite gases and cause them to glow red, green and purple — but Jupiter has additional sources for its auroras.
The images were captured by the Hubble telescope using a Spectograph and tracking the planet daily for several months.
Astronomy Photographer of the Year: