Uranus, the third largest planet in the Solar System, has long remained a mysterious object. The only time it was explored was by NASA’s Voyager 2, which flew past the planet in 1986 at a distance of 81,500 km. However, a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy suggests that the results of that mission may have been skewed, and we may have gotten the wrong idea about this gas giant.
When Voyager 2 approached Uranus, it was affected by a powerful solar wind, which reduced the planet’s magnetosphere and changed its typical properties. Therefore, the apparatus recorded a somewhat atypical for other gas giant magnetosphere, almost devoid of plasma – energetic ionized particles. Scientists believe that if the spacecraft had approached a week earlier, the findings would have been very different.
The magnetosphere of Uranus is found to be characterized by its asymmetry and high level of radiation belts. Compared to other planets, Uranus appears to be a unique planet. Astronomers suspect that the Voyager 2 data didn’t provide a complete picture of the true state of its magnetic field.
The study’s lead author Jamie Jasinski notes that the spacecraft flew very past the planet. If Voyager 2 had been able to observe Uranus longer, the scientific conclusions could have been much more accurate.
By analyzing the current data, scientists have hope that the moons of Uranus may not be as inert as thought. And while the absence of plasma was previously seen as a sign of “quiescence,” new suggestions indicate that the five largest moons may be geologically active.
Other scientists, such as Professor Jonti Horner of the University of Southern Queensland, have expressed the need for further observations. He believes that a mission should be sent to allow for more time spent orbiting Uranus.
NASA is being urged to make a new mission to Uranus a priority, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s 2022 survey. It is proposed to spend at least a year orbiting the planet and launch a probe to study its atmosphere.
Earlier we reported on what a fall to Uranus looked like.
Provided by NASA
