http://www.dailywire.com/news/18729...oses-daily-release-solar-amanda-prestigiacomo
On Monday, scientists revealed that Uranus opens and closes on a daily basis in order to release Earth's solar wind.
Because Uranus is nearly two billion miles from Earth, new information concerning the exoplanet is hard to come by; the latest developments come from data obtained over 30 years ago from the 1986 Voyager 2 50,000-plus mile-away flyby. According to scientists from Georgia Institute of Technology, Uranus' "magnetosphere flips on and off like a light switch — every single day." International Business Times reports:
“Uranus is a geometric nightmare,” stated associate professor and study co-author Carol Paty. “The magnetic field tumbles very fast, like a child cartwheeling down a hill head over heels. When the magnetized solar wind meets this tumbling field in the right way, it can reconnect and Uranus’ magnetosphere goes from open to closed to open on a daily basis.”
Apparently the differences between the magnetospheres of Earth and Uranus are suspected to be caused by the "orientation of the planets":
Scientists are particularly pleased with such findings due to the ice giant's aforementioned limited visits from NASA. Learning about an exoplanet such as Uranus will provide a better understanding of planets outside of our solar system, scientists say.
“The majority of exoplanets that have been discovered appear to also be ice giants in size,” said Georgia Tech PhD candidate, Xin Ciao. “Perhaps what we see on Uranus and Neptune is the norm for planets very unique magnetospheres and less-aligned magnetic fields. Understanding how these complex magnetospheres shield exoplanets from stellar radiation is of key importance for studying the habitability of these newly discovered worlds.”
On Monday, scientists revealed that Uranus opens and closes on a daily basis in order to release Earth's solar wind.
Because Uranus is nearly two billion miles from Earth, new information concerning the exoplanet is hard to come by; the latest developments come from data obtained over 30 years ago from the 1986 Voyager 2 50,000-plus mile-away flyby. According to scientists from Georgia Institute of Technology, Uranus' "magnetosphere flips on and off like a light switch — every single day." International Business Times reports:
In what could be described as its “on” position, the planet allows solar wind to flow into it. In its “off” position, the planet deflects solar wind by closing up. The process occurs each and every day, the scientists said. Earth’s magnetosphere, in contrast, typically only alters between open and closed in response to changes in solar wind.
“Uranus is a geometric nightmare,” stated associate professor and study co-author Carol Paty. “The magnetic field tumbles very fast, like a child cartwheeling down a hill head over heels. When the magnetized solar wind meets this tumbling field in the right way, it can reconnect and Uranus’ magnetosphere goes from open to closed to open on a daily basis.”
Apparently the differences between the magnetospheres of Earth and Uranus are suspected to be caused by the "orientation of the planets":
Uranus rotates on its side, causing its magnetic field to be lopsided and tilted 60 degrees from its axis. The shift causes the magnetic field to “tumble asymmetrically,” the scientists said.
Earth’s magnetosphere, however, is responsible for auroras, something that might be seen on Uranus as well should scientists ever be able to get a closer look. While auroras only occur in very specific spots on Earth, they might be more common on Uranus due to its shifted magnetic field.
Earth’s magnetosphere, however, is responsible for auroras, something that might be seen on Uranus as well should scientists ever be able to get a closer look. While auroras only occur in very specific spots on Earth, they might be more common on Uranus due to its shifted magnetic field.
Scientists are particularly pleased with such findings due to the ice giant's aforementioned limited visits from NASA. Learning about an exoplanet such as Uranus will provide a better understanding of planets outside of our solar system, scientists say.
“The majority of exoplanets that have been discovered appear to also be ice giants in size,” said Georgia Tech PhD candidate, Xin Ciao. “Perhaps what we see on Uranus and Neptune is the norm for planets very unique magnetospheres and less-aligned magnetic fields. Understanding how these complex magnetospheres shield exoplanets from stellar radiation is of key importance for studying the habitability of these newly discovered worlds.”
