Probe of Uranus reveals where it gets its heat
A study has finally determined where Uranus gets its heat.
Researchers from the University of Houston, led by Dr. Xinyue Wang, launched a deep probe of Uranus' data — and determined that the gas giant is actually warmed from the inside, according to a study published in Geophysical Research Letters.
'From a scientific perspective, this study helps us better understand Uranus and other giant planets,' said Wang of UH's Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in a release.
Uranus' heat has been a mystery since NASA's Voyager 2 passed by the gaseous giant in 1986 and measured an incredibly low level.
AP
Any semblance of warmth on the sun's seventh planet — which has a surface temp of -320 degrees Fahrenheit — has been a mystery since a NASA analysis of Voyager 2 data in 1986 suggested the planet did not have internal heat. That conclusion was at odds with science's general understanding of how planets form and evolve.
But the new study found that in fact Uranus generates 12.5% more heat internally than it receives from the sun, which is 1.8 billion miles away.
'This means it's still slowly losing leftover heat from its early history, a key piece of the puzzle that helps us understand its origins and how it has changed over time,' Wang said.
Uranus is still behind planets such as Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune in terms of how much heat it emits.
Those planets emit 100% more heat than they get from the sun.
The seventh planet from the Sun has been discovered to generate its own heat, contradicting previous conclusions from the Voyager 2 probe.
AP
The amount of heat emanating from Uranus varies by season — but those seasons can take more than 20 years, according to scientists.
These long seasons could be the reason for the Voyager 2 readings in 1986, which may have been skewed by a surge in solar weather during the flyby, according to Space.com.
Uranus may meanwhile soon have a moon that could house alien life, researchers have said.
The planet's moon, Miranda, has sources of water hidden beneath its surface that could play a role in the expansion of humans through the solar system, according to a study from Johns Hopkins and the University of North Dakota.
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