Uranus Is So Hot And Science Can Finally Explain Why – FayerWayer

Uranus is a planet that is the subject of little analysis and many jokes in the English language. But occasionally the scientific community dedicated to observing stars ends up finding information of great interest and relevance that helps us better understand the properties of the star.

In July 2023, we shared a series of interests about this planet, the nature of its position in the solar system and the characteristics of its constitution, with a violent wind like a gas star, which can reach speeds of 900 kilometers. for an hour.

However, recently collected data shows that Uranus is actually much hotter than expected for this location. Today’s scientific community has identified a factor that can explain this current situation.

Infrared auroras: Key to understanding the relative heat of Uranus

A team of scientists has confirmed the existence of infrared auroras on Uranus and published all the details of their research. NatureWhat could be an important discovery that will help scientists better understand the planet.

Infrared auroras are caused by the interaction of charged particles from the Sun with a planet’s atmosphere. In the case of Uranus, it is far from the Sun 3 billion kilometersCharged particles from the Sun collide with atoms in the atmosphere, causing them to emit infrared light, which becomes invisible to the human eye:

“We present NIR observations with the Keck II telescope taken on September 5, 2006 and find enhanced H3+ emission. By analyzing plume temperature and density, we find an 88% increase in localized H3+ plume density without significant temperature increases, with increased ionization driving auroral activity. corresponds to

This is what the team of scientists says in the introductory document of their project. Researchers used archival data from the Keck II telescope in Hawaii to confirm the existence of infrared auroras on Uranus. The data show that auroras are concentrated in the polar regions of the planet. Each year captured represents a clear evolution.

The discovery is important because it could help scientists explain the mystery of why Uranus is relatively hot. Because its actual temperature is higher than predicted by scientific models.

One theory is that the auroras could be responsible for this “extra heat” because Uranus generates heat by ionizing the planet’s atmosphere.

A major step has been taken to unravel this mystery.