Scientists discover X-rays from Uranus for the first time

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That’s the mysterious conclusion of a new study, which analyzed two visuals of the planet and discovered x-ray activity for the first time.

Astronomers looked at snapshots of the planet taken by NASA’s Chandra Observatory in 2002 and 2017, noticing clear x-ray detection in the first observation and a possible rash in the second.

The most likely cause of most of these x-rays is the sun; Jupiter and Saturn are already known to scatter X-ray light emitted by the sun, and research suggests that Uranus does the same.

But not all of the activity can be explained, and NASA called on scientists to examine it in more detail.

“While the authors of the new Uranus study initially expected that most of the X-rays detected would also come from scattering, there are tantalizing hints that at least one other source of X-rays is present,” according to a NASA press release. “If further observations confirm this, it could have intriguing implications for the understanding of Uranus.”

“One possibility is that the rings of Uranus themselves produce X-rays, which is the case with the rings of Saturn.”

X-rays have been detected in most of the planets in our solar system, but not in the so-called ice giants Uranus and Neptune, the authors wrote.

Scientists have discovered a secret in ancient Voyager 2 data. This is why we need to review Uranus and Neptune

But studying x-ray emissions can provide valuable information about a planet’s characteristics, they explained, adding that their findings may give clues to “the composition of the atmospheric, surface and planetary ring.” .

The research was published Wednesday in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

NASA said Uranus is a particularly intriguing target for X-ray analysis because of the “unusual orientations” of its spin axis and magnetic field.

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A mine of data on the planet captured in 1986 by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft – the only spacecraft to fly near the planet – still reveals tantalizing clues to its makeup.

Last year, it was discovered that during the mission, the spacecraft also flew over a plasmoid – a giant magnetic bubble that likely pinched part of the planet’s atmosphere, sending it into space.

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