Some newly observed electrical storms in Uranus‘ upper atmosphere have excited some astronomers and scientists who thought these weren’t possible. The gassy giant may have been underestimated, since observing the planet is harder than you might think. Because of Uranus’ distance from the Sun, it does not receive very much direct sunlight. This darkness at the outer reaches of the solar system means that Uranus is actually pretty hard to photograph.
Newly Observed Electrical Storms In Uranus’ Upper Atmosphere Have Scientists Scratching Their Heads. (Image from Wikipedia)
These electrical storms are estimated to be the highest level of activity ever observed on Uranus. The planet is already known for being unusual due to it’s tilted orbit, which many theories have tried to explain. These storms are so large that they would nearly cover one face of the Earth in their total diameter.
Scientists and astronomers are still trying to determine what might be exciting these storms in Uranus’ upper atmosphere. These could be the result of excitation from the Sun, or perhaps another outside influence. Additionally, these may just be the product of some sort of atmospheric conditions on the planet that are still not known at this time. There were some electrical storms observed in 2007 that were attributed to the planet’s equinox, but 7 years later it would not be expected that these storms would still be lingering. Whether these are new storms, or remnants of previous activity is still not well known either.
Uranus is usually depicted as a bluish, but featureless sphere. Some of this observation is based on photographs taken years ago by the Voyager spacecrafts. If you observe the planet in other wavelengths beyond the visual, you can see that this giant Methane planet is actually up to something beneath the surface.
Electrical Storms On Uranus Considered Extreme For Gassy Giants.
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