NASA James Webb Space Telescope He did it again.
that Enhanced image From a high-powered telescope orbiting in space, the planet Uranus appears in amazing new details.
The image captures the icy blue planet Elusive rings, atmospheric storms, and many of its 27 moons.
NASA on Monday The image, which expands on a snapshot revealed earlier this year of the icy, tilted world.
Pictures are a huge step up Hubble Space Telescope Try, and you can barely see a single faint ring around Uranus.
The newly enhanced image shows details Planet The seasonal “cloud cover” that hovers over its north pole.
Scientists said that the polar cap becomes “more prominent” when Uranus It tilts toward the sun as part of the winter, which lasts 21 years.
The image also shows bright storms just below the lid.
“The number of these storms, their frequency, and where they appear in Uranus’ atmosphere may be due to a combination of seasonal and atmospheric influences,” NASA said in a press release.
Uranus is an eccentric planet
Uranus is A particularly strange planet In our solar system because it basically rotates on its side at a 98 degree angle.
This gives it the most extreme seasons of any planet Our solar systemaccording to NASA.
For example, a Uranian year lasts about 84 Earth years. Because of the unstable tilt of Uranus The sun just shines At one pole for a full quarter of a Uranian year, resulting in a very long winter lasting 21 Earth years.
Uranus It is approaching a critical moment in its orbit around the Sun. In 2028, the planet will reach its next solstice and the North Pole will point directly toward the Sun.
NASA said astronomers are eager to watch how this shift will change the planet’s storm systems, polar cap, and other features.
Moreover, as Webb continues to look out into the universeNew insights from images of Uranus could help researchers learn more about the strange planet’s complex atmospheric conditions.
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