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Uranus

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JWST maps Uranus’s auroras and tilted magnetosphere in unprecedented detail
space1 day ago

JWST maps Uranus’s auroras and tilted magnetosphere in unprecedented detail

JWST mapped Uranus's upper atmosphere during a ~15-hour rotation, revealing two bright auroral belts around the planet's magnetic poles and a mid-latitude depletion region, along with a three-dimensional view of ion temperature and density up to about 5,000 km above the cloud tops. The data show Uranus’s highly tilted magnetosphere drives distinctive auroral patterns and that the atmosphere has cooled since the 1990s, offering clues about ice giants and exoplanet atmospheres.

via Live Science|
#atmosphere#auroras#james-webb-space-telescope
space2 days ago

Webb Telescope Maps Uranus’ Ionosphere in 3D

The European Space Agency reports that the James Webb Space Telescope used the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) to study Uranus’ upper atmosphere, focusing on its ionosphere up to about 5,000 km above the clouds and creating a full-rotation 3D map to probe the planet’s magnetic field and auroras. The measurements show the hottest regions at roughly 3,000–4,000 km altitude with ion densities around 1,000 km, offering new insights into Uranus’ enigmatic magnetosphere and ice-giant atmospheres more broadly.

via extremetech.com|
#auroras#ionosphere#magnetosphere
Webb’s 17-hour stare at Uranus uncovers baffling auroras
space-and-spaceflight3 days ago

Webb’s 17-hour stare at Uranus uncovers baffling auroras

The James Webb Space Telescope spent 17 hours peering at Uranus to map its upper atmosphere in three dimensions, revealing two bright auroral bands near the planet’s unusual magnetic poles and a depletion of ions between them. The observations show how Uranus’s tilted, offset magnetosphere shapes energy flow and auroral activity, with the upper atmosphere still cooling since the 1986 Voyager flyby, providing new insights into the dynamics of ice-giant atmospheres.

via Gizmodo|
#auroras#magnetosphere#space-and-spaceflight
Miranda's Hidden Ocean Reframes the Search for Life on Uranus' Moon
space3 days ago

Miranda's Hidden Ocean Reframes the Search for Life on Uranus' Moon

A Planetary Science Journal study reexamining Voyager 2 data suggests Miranda, a moon of Uranus, could have hosted a deep subsurface ocean (potentially ≥100 km) in the last 100–500 million years, with tidal heating possibly keeping liquid water inside. While conclusive evidence of life isn’t found, this makes Miranda a notable candidate in the broader search for extraterrestrial life and informs the Drake Equation’s life-fraction term.

via Hackaday|
#extraterrestrial-life#miranda#planetary-science
JWST maps Uranus's upper atmosphere in 3D, revealing auroras and magnetic quirks
space6 days ago

JWST maps Uranus's upper atmosphere in 3D, revealing auroras and magnetic quirks

Using JWST's NIRSpec, an international team mapped Uranus's upper atmosphere in 3D for the first time, detailing how temperature and ion density vary up to 5,000 km above the clouds. The study finds peak temperatures around 3,000–4,000 km and ion-density maxima near 1,000 km, with two bright auroral bands and a magnetic-field driven depletion region. The average upper-atmosphere temperature is about 426 K (roughly 150 C), and the atmosphere continues to cool since the 1990s, offering new insight into the energy balance of ice giants.

via European Space Agency|
#atmosphere#auroras#ionosphere
Reevaluating Uranus and Neptune: Are They Really Ice Giants?
science2 months ago

Reevaluating Uranus and Neptune: Are They Really Ice Giants?

A new computational model suggests that Uranus and Neptune may have rockier interiors than previously thought, challenging the traditional classification of these planets as 'ice giants' and potentially explaining their complex magnetic fields. The study combines physics-based and observational data to propose that their cores contain significant rock content, which could influence their magnetic properties. Further research and dedicated space missions are needed to confirm these findings.

via Live Science|
#ice-giants#neptune#planetary-magnetic-fields
Reevaluating the Nature of Uranus and Neptune: Are They Really 'Ice Giants'?
science4 months ago

Reevaluating the Nature of Uranus and Neptune: Are They Really 'Ice Giants'?

New research suggests that Uranus and Neptune may not be 'ice giants' as previously thought, but could instead be 'rocky giants' with interiors dominated by rock rather than ice, due to limited data and a wide range of possible interior compositions. This challenges existing models of solar system formation and highlights the need for dedicated missions to better understand these planets.

via Space|
#ice-giants#neptune#planetary-interiors