Uranus, the tilted planet of our solar system, has been discovered to be more unusual than we previously thought, thanks to observations from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Astronomers discover Uranus emitting X-rays.
Photo: NASA/CXO/University of London
Uranus has long attracted the attention of astronomers because of its impressive distance, approximately 2.6 billion kilometers from Earth.
To observe this planet, researchers need the support of powerful astronomical instruments such as the James Webb Space Telescope.
Recently, three studies were published suggesting that Miranda, one of Uranus' moons, likely possesses a subsurface ocean. This means Miranda could potentially harbor extraterrestrial life.
In a report published in The Planetary Science journal, astronomer Caleb Strong of the University of North Dakota (USA) explains that the possibility of Miranda moon carrying an ocean is quite unusual.
"The fact that Miranda could conceal an ocean beneath its surface was unprecedented given its size," according to expert Strong. Miranda has a diameter of only about 500 km, about one-seventh the size of Earth's moon.
The Miranda report is based on images captured and transmitted back to Earth by NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft. Voyager 2 is currently the only human spacecraft to have passed by and photographed Uranus, which it did so in 1986.
Miranda, as captured in images by Voyager 2.
Anomalies discovered in Uranus' magnetic field.
Also based on data from Voyager 2, researchers discovered anomalies in Uranus's internal movements, suggesting that the planet's magnetic field operates differently from Earth's.
Magnetic fields act as a shield protecting a planet from harmful radiation from the sun. According to a report published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, led by the University of California, Berkeley (USA), the surface of Uranus has distinct layers. Like oil and water, these layers never mix.
Their findings suggest that Uranus's magnetic field is chaotic and lacks the clear north-south magnetic poles found on Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn.
That is why both Uranus and its neighbor Neptune have different magnetic fields compared to what we observe in the case of Earth.
Specifically, the magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune originate from a thin layer inserted between the mantle, while Earth generates its magnetic field at its core.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/kham-pha-nhung-bi-mat-moi-cua-hanh-tinh-nghieng-185241202092448794.htm
Comment (0)