Latest news with #WilliamSaunders
Saba Yemen
28-04-2025
- Science
- Saba Yemen
NASA observes Uranus in rare astronomical event
Washington - Saba: An international scientific team at NASA's International Space Station has captured rare data about the icy planet Uranus as it passed in front of a distant star in an event known as a "stellar occultation" on the night of April 7. This unique astronomical event, which lasted nearly an hour and was visible only from a limited area in western North America, provided scientists with a valuable opportunity to study the atmospheric layers of the mysterious planet. No spacecraft has visited Uranus since Voyager 2 flew by over three decades ago. Led by William Saunders, a planetary scientist at NASA's Langley Research Center, the team comprised more than 30 scientists from around the world. They used a network of 18 advanced astronomical observatories to closely monitor the interaction between the distant star's light and Uranus' atmosphere. Saunders, who expressed deep gratitude to all team members involved in this exceptional scientific mission, stated: "For the first time in history, we've coordinated a collaboration of this scale to observe an occultation event." The scientific significance of this observation lies in its rarity—it is the first such event since 1996, when scientists last recorded a bright stellar occultation of Uranus. By comparing the new data with that collected 27 years ago, researchers hope to understand changes in the planet's stratosphere—the middle layer of its atmosphere—including shifts in temperature and chemical composition. This information could serve as a foundation for future space missions aimed at exploring this enigmatic planet. Uranus, currently located about 3.2 billion kilometers from Earth, lacks a traditional solid surface. Instead, it is primarily composed of a dense mixture of water, ammonia, and frozen methane, making it a unique model for studying the atmospheres of gas giants without the influence of a solid surface. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Uranus passed between Earth and a distant star this month — and NASA caught the rare event
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. NASA researchers got a rare chance to study Uranus' atmosphere and rings this month, when the ice giant passed between Earth and a distant star, creating a "stellar occultation." This rare event lasted about an hour on April 7 and was only visible from western North America. The last time a bright stellar occultation of Uranus occurred was 1996, so NASA came prepared. An international team of more than 30 astronomers, led by planetary scientists at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia, used 18 observatories to gather data. "This was the first time we have collaborated on this scale for an occultation," William Saunders, a planetary scientist at Langley, said in a statement. "I am extremely grateful to each member of the team and each observatory for taking part in this extraordinary event," Saunders added. "By observing the occultation from many large telescopes, we are able to measure the light curve and determine Uranus' atmospheric properties at many altitude layers." Related: Uranus: Everything you need to know about the coldest planet in the solar system For example, the scientists measured the temperatures and composition of Uranus' stratosphere, the middle layer of its atmosphere. They were able to see how the stratosphere has changed since 1996, when NASA got a snapshot of Uranus' atmosphere during the last significant stellar occultation. The data NASA just collected "could help enable future Uranus exploration efforts," agency officials said in the statement. Uranus, which is currently about 2 billion miles (3.2 billion kilometers) from Earth, does not have a solid surface. Instead, the planet has a soft surface that's a mixture of water, ammonia and methane. Researchers call Uranus an ice giant because its interior consists largely of these fluids, all of which have low freezing points. The planet's atmosphere is mostly made up of hydrogen and helium. Related Stories: — Changing seasons on Uranus tracked across 20 years by Hubble Space Telescope — What is an occultation? — A day on Uranus is actually longer than we thought, Hubble Telescope reveals "The atmospheres of the gas and ice giant planets [Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune] are exceptional atmospheric laboratories because they don't have solid surfaces," Emma Dahl, a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology who assisted in gathering observations from NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii, said in the same statement. "This allows us to study cloud formation, storms and wind patterns without the extra variables and effects a surface produces, which can complicate simulations very quickly," she added. NASA says Uranus will occult several dimmer stars over the next six years. The next significant Uranus occultation, which will involve a star even brighter than the one blocked out this month, will come in 2031.
