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An aurora, shining high above the northern part of Saturn, moves from the night side to the day side of the planet in this movie recorded by Cassini.
These observations, taken over four days, represent the first visible-light image of Saturn's auroras. They show tall auroral curtains, rapidly changing over time when viewed at the limb, or edge, of the planet's northern hemisphere. The image also reveals that Saturn's auroral curtains, the sheet-like formations of light-emitting atmospheric molecules, stretch up along Saturn's magnetic field and reach heights of more than 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) above the planet's limb. These are the tallest known “northern lights” in the solar system.
These auroral displays are created by charged particles from the magnetosphere that plunge into the planet's upper atmosphere and cause it to glow.
See related article: http://www.sflorg.com/cassini/missionnews/casmn112509_01.html
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