In 1986, Uranus ejected a gas bubble that had the size of 22,000 earths.
Uranus Expelled a Huge Plasma Bubble
According to the Space Academy, two planetary specialists found something that previous analysis had missed as they browsed through the archives of NASA. Their fresh findings were then included in the Geophysical Research Letters journal. These results raised questions on the unique magnetic environment of the planet.
Republic World reports that, since no other probes have been deployed to Uranus, the scientists had to use archived data in order to know more about the planet. The scientists manually checked and processed the data from the Voyager 2 craft. Utilizing the old data enabled them to spot something quite interesting.
The Voyager 2 scientists calculated Uranus' magnetic fields, but the two planetary scientists went further with their analysis. They discovered that the magnetosphere rapidly fluctuated for a minute and that a plasmoid could be the potential culprit.
The Voyager 2 craft was able to capture the phenomenon red-handed. Back then, the blast was overlooked. The craft passed over Uranus back in 1986; and during that time, the craft picked up a huge gas bubble being expelled from the atmosphere of the planet.
During this journey, the craft reportedly picked up the gas plume that was ejected out of the southern hemisphere of the planet. According to the Space Academy, it was around 8,000 kilometers wide and stretched to around 27,000 kilometers above the surface of the planet. This made the plume's volume 22,000 times that of the earth.
Giba DiBraccio, one of the two planetary scientists, mentioned that while they knew that the planet had gas bubbles, they did not know about the bubbles' actual size. DiBraccio also mentioned that such gas bubbles are similar to those of Jupiter and Saturn. However, what makes Uranus' gas bubbles unique is that they harbor greater mass.
Uranus
Across the solar system, Uranus has the third largest diameter. The planet is also the seventh from the sun and was spotted with the help of a telescope. The planet was reportedly first discovered by astronomer William Herschel in 1781. At first, the astronomer thought that Uranus was a star or comet. NASA reports that it took two years before the object was acknowledged as a new planet in the solar system.
According to Space, NASA is now working towards deploying the Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) to look further into the planet. The research is expected not only to boost our understanding of the planet but also to offer insight regarding how ice giant systems evolve.
The probe could be launched in 2031 or 2032. However, it may reach the planet by 2044 or 2045. The craft may also leave earth as late as 2038. However, this would entail a journey that lasts for 15 years.
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