If you haven’t seen the Earth’s aurora borealis in person, you’ve seen pictures – majestic colors that light up the night sky. Planet Earth has so many unique features, like our surface water and abundance of constantly evolving life. But the lights of an aurora? We aren’t the only planet that can boast about them. Did you know that Saturn also produces the phenomenon? However, there’s something different about them. But before we get into that, how does this kind of light show occur in the first place? Here’s a clue: it involves magnets. WHAT IS AN AURORA? Auroras occur when magnetic fields collide. This collision releases massive amounts of heat and energy in a process called magnetic reconnection. In Earth’s case, when solar flares from the sun carry charged particles – which are surrounded by a magnetic field – into our magnetic poles, the aurora borealis lights up the sky. Other planets have auroras as well, including Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Saturn. So what’s different about Saturn? Interestingly, Saturn’s auroras, unlike Earth’s, can appear as early in the day as noon. This means the planet’s process of magnetic reconnection is slightly different from our own. THEORIES FROM RESEARCHERS One theory is that Saturn’s fast rotation thins out a ring of plasma (magnetodisc) near the Equator, meaning magnetic fields could collide earlier during the day. To put Saturn’s rotational speed into perspective: the planet is 760 times larger than Earth, but its days are only 10 Earth hours long. Differences in the planet’s magnetosphere could play a part in causing Saturn’s daytime auroras. These differences include Saturn’s rings and many moons. Something else to consider is the topography of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus. A cryovolcano releases water vapor and ice into the atmosphere, and that may have an impact on the magnetosphere as well. Knowledge of Saturn’s daytime auroras and research into how they work can help researchers find other unknown auroras in the solar system. Space holds many mysteries, and each discovery leads to a new discovery. For example, learning about Saturn’s daytime auroras may help us begin to explain the strange X-ray pulses that were found radiating from Jupiter. If you’re interested in reading other magnet-related news, explore the Apex Magnets blog. You won’t be disappointed!