An ancient impact may have briefly made Umbriel cryovolcanic. Uranus’ dark, heavily cratered moon Umbriel has long been considered geologically inactive. But a new study suggests it may have experienced a period of cryovolcanic activity — perhaps the result of a massive impact. Adeene Denton, lead author on the study, joins this week’s Planetary Radio to discuss the findings and what it means for the Uranus system. Pictured: A mosaic of images of Uranus and several of its moons. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
Catch up on The Planetary Society Book Club. On Thursday, March 5, book club members will be joined by Sir Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, for a live virtual discussion of his book “The Launch of Rocket Lab.” And last week, the Book Club Edition of Planetary Radio featured a conversation with Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Betts about his latest batch of kids’ books about space.
What is a planetary alignment? This month, stargazers have enjoyed a parade of planets in the night sky. Our guide to planetary alignments explains why these line-ups happen, the different kinds you might hear about, and how to enjoy them.