<p>Technically, yes, the moon does have an atmosphere that gets ionized by the sun. 
NASA: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LADEE/news/lunar-atmosphere.html#.VGgX79Yi10Q" rel="noreferrer">Is There an Atmosphere on the Moon?</a> </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>our moon does indeed have an atmosphere consisting of some unusual gases, including sodium and potassium, which are not found in the atmospheres of Earth, Mars or Venus. It's an infinitesimal amount of air when compared to Earth's atmosphere. At sea level on Earth, we breathe in an atmosphere where each cubic centimeter contains 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules; by comparison the lunar atmosphere has less than 1,000,000 molecules in the same volume.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Pretty thin soup. Sodium and potassium get kicked up by photons hitting the surface. There's also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_the_Moon" rel="noreferrer">argon, helium and other minor components</a>.
As shown in this figure from the first link: <img src="https://i.sstatic.net/oXJfk.jpg" alt="enter image description here"> The sodium in that atmosphere does glow; (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_%28unit%29" rel="noreferrer">Rayleigh</a> unit definition). At least some of the <a href="http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2009/EGU2009-6734.pdf" rel="noreferrer">glow is due to full fledged <strong>ions</strong></a> rather than charge-neutral <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence" rel="noreferrer">fluorescence</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>It is confirmed that the ions include oxygen, sodium and potassium. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>So, whether by ionic or fluorescent emission, the moon's atmosphere does glow. Unless one wants to argue about the glow not being <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora" rel="noreferrer">restricted to the poles by a magnetic field</a>, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airglow" rel="noreferrer">airglow</a>, that glow counts as an aurora.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-16T04:24:24.043Z
2014-11-16T06:27:32.277Z
2014-11-16T06:27:32.277Z
Wayfaring Stranger
<p>No, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora" rel="nofollow">Auroras</a> result from emissions of photons in the Body's upper atmosphere gases. The Moon <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Atmosphere_and_Dust_Environment_Explorer" rel="nofollow">may</a> have a tenuous atmosphere of moving particles, called "dust atmosphere". But is composed of dust particles in constant motion, not of gases. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-15T14:15:50.563Z
2014-11-15T14:15:50.563Z
rnrneverdies
<p>Auroras require an atmosphere, which the moon does not have.</p>

<p>Auroras occur as solar wind and other particles that interact or are associated with Earth's magnetic field are funneled by the magnetic field and accelerated until they collide with atoms/molecules in Earth's atmosphere.  These collisions cause the atoms/molecules to ionize or excite the the subsequent recombination/de-excitation of the electrons is what causes the light seen in the auroras.</p>

<p>Without at atmosphere, though, there are no particles to ionize and excite to create an aurora.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-16T04:16:42.507Z
2014-11-16T04:16:42.507Z
NeutronStar
<p>If the Moon has a magnetic field and can possibly receive solar wind, then does it have an aurora? If Earth has an aurora, and Saturn has an aurora, then could the Moon possibly have an aurora?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-15T12:50:46.387Z
You still need an atmosphere to do that :)
Py-ser
<solar-wind>
Does the Moon have an aurora?
Billy
# Does the Moon have an aurora?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-11-15)

If the Moon has a magnetic field and can possibly receive solar wind, then does it have an aurora? If Earth has an aurora, and Saturn has an aurora, then could the Moon possibly have an aurora?

**Tags:** solar-wind
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You still need an atmosphere to do that :)  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-11-16. Score: 6

Technically, yes, the moon does have an atmosphere that gets ionized by the sun.
NASA: [Is There an Atmosphere on the Moon?](http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LADEE/news/lunar-atmosphere.html#.VGgX79Yi10Q)

> our moon does indeed have an atmosphere consisting of some unusual gases, including sodium and potassium, which are not found in the atmospheres of Earth, Mars or Venus. It's an infinitesimal amount of air when compared to Earth's atmosphere. At sea level on Earth, we breathe in an atmosphere where each cubic centimeter contains 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules; by comparison the lunar atmosphere has less than 1,000,000 molecules in the same volume.

Pretty thin soup. Sodium and potassium get kicked up by photons hitting the surface. There's also [argon, helium and other minor components](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_the_Moon).
As shown in this figure from the first link: ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/oXJfk.jpg) The sodium in that atmosphere does glow; ([Rayleigh](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayleigh_%28unit%29) unit definition). At least some of the [glow is due to full fledged **ions**](http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2009/EGU2009-6734.pdf) rather than charge-neutral [fluorescence](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence):

> It is confirmed that the ions include oxygen, sodium and potassium.

So, whether by ionic or fluorescent emission, the moon's atmosphere does glow. Unless one wants to argue about the glow not being [restricted to the poles by a magnetic field](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora), or [airglow](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airglow), that glow counts as an aurora.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2014-11-15. Score: 1

No, [Auroras](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora) result from emissions of photons in the Body's upper atmosphere gases. The Moon [may](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Atmosphere_and_Dust_Environment_Explorer) have a tenuous atmosphere of moving particles, called "dust atmosphere". But is composed of dust particles in constant motion, not of gases.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2014-11-16. Score: 0

Auroras require an atmosphere, which the moon does not have.

Auroras occur as solar wind and other particles that interact or are associated with Earth's magnetic field are funneled by the magnetic field and accelerated until they collide with atoms/molecules in Earth's atmosphere. These collisions cause the atoms/molecules to ionize or excite the the subsequent recombination/de-excitation of the electrons is what causes the light seen in the auroras.

Without at atmosphere, though, there are no particles to ionize and excite to create an aurora.


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