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Researchers have detected an infrared aurora on Uranus for the first time, providing new information about the peculiar magnetic fields present on the icy giants of our solar system. Aurora phenomenon occurs when solar winds interact with highly charged particles in a planet’s atmosphere, causing them to emit light. While Earth is known for its mesmerizing Northern and Southern Lights, other planets in our solar system also exhibit various forms of aurora. In 1986, the Voyager 2 probe first observed ultraviolet aurorae on Uranus. However, this recent discovery marks the first detection of infrared aurora on the planet.

On Uranus, the aurora emits light in wavelengths outside the visible spectrum, such as infrared, due to the composition of its atmosphere, primarily composed of hydrogen and helium. These infrared aurorae are invisible to the naked eye. Nevertheless, using the Keck II telescope in Hawaii, scientists were able to study and document them.

The researchers focused on analyzing particular wavelengths of light emitted from Uranus, specifically the infrared light emitted by a charged particle called H3+. By observing variations in the brightness of H3+, the scientists determined that there was an 88% increase in density within Uranus’s atmosphere, indicating auroral activity and increased ionization. This finding is significant in understanding why gas giant planets like Uranus are much hotter than expected, as it suggests that energetic aurora plays a role in transferring heat from the aurora to the magnetic equator.

The discovery of an infrared aurora on Uranus not only sheds light on the planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere but also has implications for understanding exoplanets similar in size to Uranus and Neptune. Analyzing the aurora on Uranus could provide insights into the atmospheres and magnetic fields of these exoplanets and their potential for supporting life.

Additionally, Uranus and Neptune’s magnetic fields differ from other planets in that their magnetic poles do not align with their rotational axes. Investigating aurora activity on Uranus may help unravel the mystery of these misaligned magnetic fields. The study also has implications for understanding phenomena on Earth, such as geomagnetic reversal, where the north and south poles flip. By studying Uranus’s aurora, researchers can gain insight into what may occur during a future pole reversal on Earth and its impact on the planet’s magnetic field.

This groundbreaking research, led by Emma Thomas, a PhD student at the University of Leicester School of Physics and Astronomy, was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Sources:
– “An infrared aurora on Uranus,” Nature Astronomy (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-021-01356-x)
– Image source: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UC Berkeley (https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=8035)

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