For the first time, scientists discover x-rays from Uranus

For the first time, scientists have discovered X-rays emitted by the enigmatic planet Uranus.

The study published Wednesday in the Journal of Geophysical Research examined two visuals of the planet taken by the Chandra Observatory in 2002 and 2017. The first observation revealed clear X-ray detection, and the second revealed a possible eruption of X-rays on the ice giant, a planet mostly made up of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.

The guilty? “Mainly the sun,” NASA said in one on its website.

But, the agency said, “there are tantalizing hints that at least one other source of x-rays is present.”

“One possibility is that the rings of Uranus themselves produce X-rays, which is the case with the rings of Saturn,” the agency said. “Another possibility is that at least some of the x-rays are coming from auroras on Uranus, a phenomenon that has already been observed on this planet at other wavelengths.”

X-rays can offer unique information about the characteristics of the solar system. For Uranus, the research authors said these characteristics can include “the composition of the atmospheric, surface and planetary rings.”

Astronomers have previously observed X-rays scattered by the sun on Jupiter and Saturn, but not on ice giants Uranus and Neptune, according to NASA. The agency said the planet was of particular interest because of its “unusual orientations of its axis of rotation and magnetic field.”

NASA said determining the sources of Uranus’ x-rays could help astronomers better understand how more mysterious objects in space emit x-rays, including “the growth of black holes and neutron stars.” .

Uranus, about four times the diameter of Earth, is the seventh planet from the sun. It is distinctly known for its two sets of rings around its equator and its lateral rotation – which makes it unique among other planets in the solar system.