For the first time, Uranus' X-rays have been discovered
Scientists have many theories of how they came to be. With the exception of Neptune, X-rays have now been discovered on every planet in the solar system. Furthermore, the discovery could shed light on more distant X-ray phenomena such as black holes, supernovae, quasars, and neutron stars.
Uranus has two sets of rings orbiting above its equator, all made primarily of hydrogen and helium. The world is unusual in that it rotates on its axis at an angle of 98 degrees clockwise. No other planet in the solar system has a similar inclination to the plane of the solar system.
Uranus was only briefly visited by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986, so astronomers rely on telescopes including Hubble and Chandra to study the seventh planet from the Sun.
Physicist Affelia Wibisono, a graduate student at the University of California and co-author of the research, along with astronomer William Dunn of University College London. Proof of Uranus' X-ray emission was discovered in Chandra data obtained in 2002 and 2017. A Chandra Advanced CCD spectrometer was used to collect data in 2002, while a high-resolution camera was used to collect data in 2017.
In addition, the researchers used solar activity data from near-Earth satellites as well as observational data from ground-based tel
The researchers have used solar activity data from near-Earth satellites and observational data from ground-based telescopes. The X-ray signals that were observed were very faint, but they were still observable.
Uranus, like many other solar system objects such as comets, asteroids, and even the dwarf planet Pluto, is thought to scatter X-rays received by the Sun. However, this is not the only X-ray source on the earth. Calculations show that Uranus emitted more X-rays than it should have if the planet just scattered the Sun's X-rays.
To describe the radiation, the authors have suggested two separate hypotheses. One explanation is that Uranus' rings emit X-rays, close to what occurs with Saturn's rings. When energetic charged particles such as electrons and protons collide with rings, they shine in X-rays, a phenomenon known as fluorescence occurs. Another explanation is that Uranus' auroras emit X-rays.
Scientists hope that future Chandra experiments will shed light on what's going on on Uranus. The Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics (ATHENA) of the European Space Agency, which is scheduled to launch in 2031, will join the observations in the future.