HST observations of planetary aurorae, a unique tool to study giant magnetospheres

TL;DR

HST's UV observations of planetary aurorae provide valuable insights into giant magnetospheres, supporting ongoing research despite the lack of new UV telescope missions.

Contribution

This paper highlights the importance of HST's auroral observations for studying giant magnetospheres and emphasizes the need for continued data collection to address unresolved questions.

Findings

HST has significantly contributed to understanding planetary aurorae.

Auroral observations reveal details of giant magnetospheres.

Long-term data are crucial for comparative planetary studies.

Abstract

Ultraviolet (UV) planetary astronomy is a unique tool to probe planetary environments of the solar system and beyond. But despite a rising interest for new generation giant UV telescopes regularly proposed to international agencies, none has been selected yet, leaving the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) as the most powerful UV observatory in activity. HST regularly observed the auroral emissions of the Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus systems, leading to significant discoveries and achievements. This rich legacy remains of high interest for further statistical and long-term studies, but new observations are necessary to comparatively tackle pending questions, under varying solar or seasonal cycles.