A New Study Reveals the Makeup of Uranus’ Atmosphere
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Summary
Under the leadership of the University of Arizona, researchers from various institutions have analysed observations of Uranus taken over 20 years by the NASA Hubble Space Telescope, yielding new insights into the planet’s composition and dynamics.
While the planet consists mainly of water and ammonia ice, with a diameter four times that of Earth and a mass 15 times greater, its atmosphere comprises hydrogen, helium, methane and very small amounts of water and ammonia.
Methane absorbs the red component of sunlight, giving the planet its distinctive pale blue-green hue.
Furthermore, the research has shed light on Uranus’ unusual seasons, which are dictated by its axis of rotation being almost parallel to its orbital plane, a trait thought to be the result of a collision with an Earth-sized object in the planet’s past.
