Aurorae on Jupiter, Chandra X-ray telescope image. The aurorae are the bright regions at the planet's poles. On Earth, aurorae (northern and southern lights) are caused when charged particles in the solar wind are trapped by Earth's magnetic field and collide with atmospheric gases, causing them to emit light. The aurorae on Jupiter are far more powerful, however, and the gas ions are stripped of nearly all their electrons, far more than on Earth. This image was captured over 17 hours between 24th-26th February 2003.