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JWST Reveals Jupiter's Auroras Linked to Galilean Moons

3/11/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows Jupiter's auroras are influenced by its Galilean moons.
Katie Knowles of Northumbria University led research linking a cold spot in Jupiter's atmosphere to Io's auroral footprint, with temperatures significantly lower than the surrounding area and ion density about three times higher.
Knowles plans to continue investigations with NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility to determine how often such cold spots occur and why.

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Story summary

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows Jupiter's auroras are influenced by its Galilean moons.
Katie Knowles of Northumbria University led research linking a cold spot in Jupiter's atmosphere to Io's auroral footprint, with temperatures significantly lower than the surrounding area and ion density about three times higher.
Knowles plans to continue investigations with NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility to determine how often such cold spots occur and why.