polar lights

By studying rare observations of the gas giant’s polar lights, scientists helmed by William Dunn and Andrew Coates at University College London found that the northern and southern auroras brightened and faded completely independently from one another.

"Where the polar lights are seen, that's the region with the most geomagnetic disruptions on the Earth's surface," Dr Vanselow told BBC News.

When they hit the Earth's upper atmosphere, they produce the spectacular displays of the polar lights over the Arctic, however the most powerful storms can also damage communications systems and satellites.

ConocoPhillips was an early adopter with its Polar Lights project, which began in 1994 amid the euphoria of U.S.-Russia collaboration.

Earth’s polar lights are triggered by solar storms, which occur when a cloud of gas from the sun encounters the planet’s magnetic field.