Auroras on Earth happen, leaving the gazers pondering on the ever-happening outer world. But, when does it happen? It is when the solar wind interacts with our planet’s magnetic field; electrons are accelerated downwards into the atmosphere, and we see the pretty lights in the sky.



The story of northern lights in the planet Saturn is a bit different. It is said that this process also goes in reverse there! Isn’t it amazing to even think of? Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Katlenberg, Lindau, Germany, have now observed Saturn’s polar region. For this observation, they used the particle spectrometer MIMI, on the Cassini Space Probe. They discovered electrons, which not only accelerate toward the planet, but also away from it (Nature, February 9, 2006)!



Via: Universe Today