Invisible Magnetic Bubbles in Outer Solar System Investigated
But not all magnetospheres are created equal: Venus and Mars do not have magnetospheres at all, while the other planets — and one moon — have ones that are surprisingly different.
NASA has launched a fleet of missions to study the planets in our solar system — many of which have sent back crucial information about magnetospheres. The twin Voyagers measured magnetic fields as they traveled out to the far reaches of the solar system, and discovered Uranus and Neptune’s magnetospheres. Other planetary missions including Galileo, Cassini and Juno, and a number of spacecraft that orbit Earth, provide observations to create a comprehensive understanding of how planets form magnetospheres, as well as how they continue to interact with the dynamic space environment around them.
Earth
Earth’s magnetosphere is created by the constantly moving molten metal inside Earth. This invisible “force field” around our planet has a general shape resembling an ice cream cone, with a rounded front and a long, trailing tail that faces away from the sun. The magnetosphere is shaped that way because of the near-constant flow of solar wind and magnetic field from the Sun-facing side.
Credits: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio/JPL NAIF
Earth’s and other magnetospheres deflect charged particles away from the planet — but also trap energetic particles in radiation belts. Auroras are caused by particles that rain down into the atmosphere, usually not far from the magnetic poles.
Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Joy Ng
It’s possible that Earth’s magnetosphere was essential for the development of conditions friendly to life, so learning about magnetospheres around other planets and moons is a big step toward determining if life could have evolved there.
Mercury
Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Joy Ng
Jupiter
Credits: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio/JPL NAIF
Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon, also has its own magnetic field and magnetosphere — making it the only moon with one. Its weak field, nestled in Jupiter’s enormous shell, scarcely ruffles the planet’s magnetic field.
Saturn
Credits: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio/JPL NAIF
Uranus
Credits: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio/JPL NAIF
Neptune was also visited by Voyager 2, in 1989. Its magnetosphere is offset from its rotation axis, but only by 47 degrees. Similar to Uranus, Neptune’s magnetic field strength varies across the planet. This means that auroras can appear across the planet — not just close to the poles, like on Earth, Jupiter and Saturn.
Credits: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio/JPL NAIF
Outside of our solar system, auroras, which indicate the presence of a magnetosphere, have been spotted on brown dwarfs — objects that are bigger than planets but smaller than stars. There’s also evidence to suggest that some giant exoplanets have magnetospheres, but we have yet to see conclusive proof. As scientists learn more about the magnetospheres of planets in our solar system, it can help us one day identify magnetospheres around more distant planets as well.
Contacts and sources:
By Mara Johnson-Groh
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center,
Source:
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