Recently, astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to successfully map the 3D structure of Uranus' aurora for the first time. This result is a milestone in understanding "ice giants" and their complex magnetic field environments.
Auroral photos of Uranus taken by the James Webb Space Telescope
The research team used the Webb Telescope's near-infrared spectrometer to conduct detailed observations of Uranus' aurora. Paola Tiranti, a researcher at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom, pointed out that the observation results brought three new discoveries:
1. 3D perspective reveals energy flow:Through Webb's near-infrared spectrometer (NIRSpec), scientists can not only see flat images of aurora, but also observe the vertical structure of Uranus's upper atmosphere for the first time. This helps track how energy moves up in the atmosphere and reveals the specific effects of that skewed magnetic field on the planet.
2. Unique magnetosphere research:Uranus has one of the strangest magnetospheres in the solar system because its magnetic axis is significantly offset (tilted and eccentric) from its rotational axis.
3. Confirm the “cooling” trend:Webb's data also confirmed the phenomenon discovered by Voyager 2 launched in 1977, that is, Uranus's upper atmosphere is cooling. The average temperature measured by Webb was about 426 Kelvin (about 153 degrees Celsius), lower than previously recorded by ground-based telescopes.
Uranus and its rings
An in-depth understanding of the energy balance of Uranus will help humans conduct more in-depth research on similar giant planets outside the solar system.