{"id":800984,"date":"2026-03-04T06:16:29","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T11:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=800984"},"modified":"2026-03-04T06:16:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T11:16:29","slug":"atmosphere-of-uranus-revealed-in-new-3d-webb-observations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=800984","title":{"rendered":"Atmosphere of Uranus revealed in new 3D Webb observations"},"content":{"rendered":"


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View larger. | Webb used its Near InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument to take this near-infrared view of the upper atmosphere of Uranus in January 2025. The bright spots are auroral emissions. Image via ESA\/ Webb\/ NASA\/ CSA\/ STScI\/ P. Tiranti\/ H. Melin\/ M. Zamani (ESA\/Webb).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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  • Uranus has a deep atmosphere composed of mostly hydrogen.<\/strong> There is still a lot to learn about it.<\/li>\n
  • The James Webb Space Telescope<\/strong> took a close look at Uranus\u2019 mysterious upper atmosphere for the first time with its near-infrared NIRSpec instrument.<\/li>\n
  • The observations revealed new clues<\/strong> about Uranus\u2019 ionosphere and powerful auroras.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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    Upper atmosphere of Uranus<\/h3>\n

    Uranus has a deep atmosphere composed mostly of hydrogen. For the first time, scientists have mapped the vertical structure of the upper part of its atmosphere in three dimensions. Researchers in the U.S. and U.K. said on February 19, 2026, that they used the James Webb Space Telescope to measure how temperature and charged particles vary with altitude in this region. In addition, the observations also revealed auroras shaped by the planet\u2019s strong but tilted magnetic field.<\/p>\n

    The new peer-reviewed results were published in Geophysical Research Letters<\/em> on February 19, 2026.<\/p>\n

    Seeing Uranus\u2019 upper atmosphere in 3 dimensions<\/h3>\n

    Webb used its Near InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument to observe the upper regions of Uranus\u2019 atmosphere. It observed the planet for nearly a complete rotation. It saw the faint glow of molecules high above the uppermost clouds.<\/p>\n

    In addition, Webb mapped the temperature and density of ions in the upper atmosphere. This region extends up to about 3,000 miles (5,000 km) above the highest clouds. This is where the atmosphere becomes ionized. As a result, it interacts with the planet\u2019s magnetic field to produce the auroras, just like on Earth. In fact, scientists have seen auroras on every planet in the solar system except for Mercury.<\/p>\n

    Webb found that temperatures in the upper atmosphere peak between 1,900 and 2,500 miles (3,000 and 4,000 km) in altitude. Meanwhile, the ions are densest at around 600 miles (1,000 km) in altitude.<\/p>\n

    Paola Tiranti at Northumbria University in the U.K. led the new study of Uranus\u2019 upper atmosphere. She said:<\/p>\n

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    This is the first time we\u2019ve been able to see Uranus\u2019s upper atmosphere in three dimensions. With Webb\u2019s sensitivity, we can trace how energy moves upward through the planet\u2019s atmosphere and even see the influence of its lopsided magnetic field.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    The observations provide new clues about how Uranus\u2019 auroras form and how the planet\u2019s oddly tilted magnetic field affects them.<\/p>\n