X-Rays from Uranus Shows Ice Planet in New Light

X-rays from Uranus are spotted for the first time. No, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke.

This composite image shows X-rays from Uranus (shown in pink) in relation to an image of the ice giant planet as seen in optical wavelengths. Image credit: CfA

Far from the Sun, near the outer limits of our solar system, the ice giant Uranus slowly orbits its distant parent star. For the first time, astronomers have seen X-rays emanating from this distant world.

The Chandra X-ray observatory, launched in 1999, examines the Universe in X-rays, highly-energetic wavelengths of electromagnetic energy most commonly associated with diagnosing broken bones.

“NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory is a telescope specially designed to detect X-ray emission from very hot regions of the Universe such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies, and matter around black holes. Because X-rays are absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere, Chandra must orbit above it, up to an altitude of 139,000 km (86,500 mi) in space,” NASA describes.

A new study of observations shows this world — literally — in a new light.

Join us on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion starting April 13, when we will talk with Affelia Wibisono of University College London, researcher on this study.

Seeing Through the X-ray Mystery

X-rays have been seen before, radiating from the gas giants of the solar system, Jupiter…