'Alien auroras' on Jupiter reveal a new kind of plasma wave, scientists say

A view of Jupiter with blue lights at its poles showing where its auroras are.

The shimmering northern lights that streak across Alaska's skies have wilder cousins on Jupiter — they're bigger, stranger, and now tied to a discovery helping scientists better understand space weather.

These "alien auroras" on our solar system's largest planet have revealed a previously unknown type of plasma wave, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. The finding could help scientists better understand auroras on other worlds and how magnetic fields shield planets, including Earth, from harmful radiation streaming from their stars.