Underneath the seemingly smooth and solid pale blue exterior of Uranus lies a dynamic polar structure that has never been studied before. Michael Roman, a planetary scientist at the University of Leicester in England, who was not involved in the research, expressed excitement over the discovery. In 1986, NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft detected winds moving faster at the center of Uranus’ south pole than in neighboring areas, indicating the possibility of a cyclone. However, the spacecraft’s instruments were not sensitive enough to confirm the storm. Recently, scientists were able to observe the other side of the ice giant, where they spotted similar hints of a swirling storm. Planetary scientist Alex Akins and colleagues used the Very Large Array radio observatory in New Mexico to probe the temperature under the clouds for more atmospheric clues. Akins, of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., described the VLA observations as the final piece of evidence.
2023-06-12 06:00:00
Article from www.sciencenews.org
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