Friday 22 December 2023

It Is An Ice Giant,

with 27 moons, rings like Saturn and a day/night cycle of just 17 hours, 


all images courtesy of NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI. it is 2.9332 billion km from the sun, (Earth is 147.16 million km from the sun), and is about four times the size of Earth, approximately 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometres) in diameter, it is Uranus,

because it rotates relatively quickly, taking photographs has always been a tad difficult, but NASA has just released an image captured by the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, using its NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), which reveals an unprecedented glimpse of a seasonal ice cap with bright storms at its base. “Because Uranus spins on its side at a tilt of about 98 degrees, it has the most extreme seasons in the solar system,” NASA says. “For nearly a quarter of each Uranian year, the sun shines over one pole, plunging the other half of the planet into a dark, 21-year-long winter.”

the image also captures 14 of Uranus’s 27 moons, some of which orbit within the rings. Using Webb’s sensitive imaging and a number of filters to glean more precise attributes, we’re even able to see a dim ring named Zeta that often eludes other telescopes, if you are interested in this mission have a look at NASA’s website, what an amazing photograph, it really is out of this world!


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