It is the first time that a team of NASA scientists has managed to detect X-rays in the surroundings of Uranus. We know that in our solar system almost all planets, including Earth, register this type of energy, but what causes this energy emission?
Uranus, a rather strange planet
It is the third largest planet in our solar system and also one of the rarest and most fascinating. To all the mystery that already surrounds it, we have added a new one: astronomers have detected X-rays from this toxic world and, although part of the signal could be reflected emissions from the Sun, the most common, some seem to come from the planet itself, according to a NASA statement.
The new study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research , analyzed observations of Uranus collected by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory in 2002 and 2017.
X-ray emissions from comets, Venus, Earth, Mars, Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter, and several of Jupiter’s moons have already been detected; “Of the planets in the solar system, only the ice giants, Uranus and Neptune, have yet to be detected in the X-ray wave band,” commented previous research.
Now, scientists have seen clear X-ray detection in early 2002 observations and possible X-ray flare in data obtained 15 years later.
What could cause Uranus to emit X-rays?
Mainly the Sun, because just as the Earth’s atmosphere scatters visible light, so does the atmosphere of the giant planets of the solar system, such as Jupiter and Saturn. But … while the authors of the new study initially expected that most of the detected X-rays would also be scattering, “there are tantalizing indications that at least one other X-ray source is present,” according to a NASA statement. “If more observations confirm this, it could have interesting implications for understanding Uranus,” the experts continue.
Rays produced by the planet
If the planet itself generates these X-ray emissions. What is the source? It could be the rings of Uranus. Although they are not as spectacular as those of Saturn, its ring system is made of dark particles between a few microns and a fraction of a meter wide. And we know that Saturn’s rings emit X-rays, so it could be the same origin.
What if it wasn’t the rings?
Astronomers advocate auroras . The northern and southern lights are not exclusive to Earth, there are auroras also on Jupiter, for example. And, although the exact mechanism that “moves” the auroras of Uranus is not known, it could be a crucial clue to better understand the enigmas of this world of our cosmic neighborhood that lies on its side and where the axis of its magnetic field is. inclined both from the orbital plane and from the axis of rotation. These messy shafts can trigger auroras and they emit X-rays.
Referencia: W.R. Dunn et al. 2021. A low signal detection of X-rays from Uranus. Journal of Geophysical Research 126 (4); doi: 10.1029/2020JA028739
