If one was orbiting in the Jovian system, as depicted in this artist conception,
could the aurora be seen unassisted?
Hubblesite-Illustration Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)
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1$\begingroup$ Can you credit and add a link to the source of the image (unless of course you are the artist). I'm wondering if the artist is representing UV light as blue/violet here. $\endgroup$– uhohCommented Jan 7, 2019 at 1:44
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1$\begingroup$ On the next page of the Hubblesite I did find, "The belts were observed in ultraviolet light by the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and are colored blue in this illustration." $\endgroup$– Bob516Commented Jan 7, 2019 at 2:24
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5$\begingroup$ bingo! In that case you can consider writing an answer to your own question, and that is always okay in Stack Exchange. After a few days to see if other answers are also posted, it would be fine to accept your answer if you like as well. You can also ask a follow up question "Why is Ganymede's aurora only visible in ultraviolet while Earth's is bright green and red?" $\endgroup$– uhohCommented Jan 7, 2019 at 2:28
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1 Answer
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The aurora depicted in the artist's conception is of ultraviolet light. It would not be seen with the naked eye.
"NASA's Hubble Space Telescope observed a pair of auroral belts encircling the Jovian moon Ganymede. The belts were observed in ultraviolet light by the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and are colored blue in this illustration. They are overlaid on a visible-light image of Ganymede taken by NASA's Galileo orbiter. The locations of the glowing aurorae are determined by the moon's magnetic field, and therefore provide a probe of the moon's interior, where the magnetic field is generated. The amount of rocking of the magnetic field, caused by its interaction with Jupiter's own immense magnetosphere, provides evidence that the moon has a subsurface ocean of saline water."
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$\begingroup$ There's a similar question with an answer that says the opposite: astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/34725/9809 $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 16, 2020 at 10:41
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$\begingroup$ @user31389 That is a question I asked. I had added the comment to my question, "'Follow-up observations will be difficult because the auroras were only visible in ultraviolet light,' astrobio.net/history/…" $\endgroup$– Bob516Commented Jan 16, 2020 at 13:08
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$\begingroup$ How ultraviolet is it? You don't have to come from another planet to see ultraviolet light :-) $\endgroup$– uhohCommented Apr 8, 2021 at 12:15