James Webb Maps Uranus's Upper Atmosphere

Astronomers, led by Paola Tiranti of Northumbria University, have created the first three-dimensional map of Uranus's upper atmosphere using the James Webb Space Telescope. This breakthrough reveals new details about the ice giant's auroras, temperature variations, and ongoing atmospheric cooling. The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, mapped the temperature and density of ions in Uranus's ionosphere, showing how they vary with altitude and are influenced by the planet's unusually tilted and offset magnetic field. The James Webb Space Telescope data confirmed that Uranus's upper atmosphere continues to cool, a trend observed since the early 1990s. This research provides crucial insights into the energy balance of ice giant planets, both within our solar system and beyond, and highlights the advanced capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope, a program led by United States===NASA with partners International===European Space Agency and Canada===Canadian Space Agency.