Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. who specializes in science, space, physics, astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, quantum mechanics and technology. Rob's articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space and ZME Science.
The James Webb Space Telescope is set to begin investigating the spectacular light shows of solar system giants Uranus and Saturn.
Auroras are familiar to skywatchers over Earth as the stunning Northern Lights and Southern Lights, which can be seen along the poles of our planet when they appear.These light shows are generated over Earth when charged particles that stream from the sun's solar wind strike our planet's protective magnetic field, known as the magnetosphere.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Though auroras have been seen over other solar system planets before, and they should be possible around any planet with an atmosphere and magnetic field, less is known about these alien light shows.
Because of a past impact with a roughly Earth-sized body, Uranus is tilted at a 97.77-degree angle. This means that its poles are orientated almost directly toward and away from the sun, and its auroras are positioned around what would normally be the equator for a solar system planet. The JWST study of Uranus will begin early in 2025; it will capture images of the ice giant over a single day for the planet, which lasts around 17 Earth hours. This should allow the team to map auroral emissions across a whole rotation of Uranus' magnetic field.
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James Webb Space Telescope to investigate the stunning light shows of Saturn and UranusRobert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.
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