James Webb Telescope Captures Neptune’s Auroras in Unprecedented Detail

NASA confirms the first-ever infrared imaging of Neptune’s auroras, revealing unique mid-latitude placement and atmospheric cooling.

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured Neptune's auroras for the first time, completing the detection of auroral activity on all four giant planets in the Solar System.
The auroras, located at mid-latitudes due to Neptune's tilted magnetic field, differ from the polar auroras observed on other planets.
Webb's near-infrared sensitivity enabled the detection of the trihydrogen cation (H3+), a molecule associated with auroras, providing new insights into Neptune's atmosphere.
Observations show Neptune's upper atmosphere has significantly cooled since Voyager 2's 1989 flyby, which likely contributed to the difficulty of detecting auroras until now.
Researchers plan to study Neptune’s auroras and atmospheric dynamics over an 11-year solar cycle to better understand its magnetic field and interactions with solar particles.