Auroras Seen On Uranus For First Time

National Geographic ^ | April 13, 2012 | Andrew Fazekas

[Free ThinkerNY]

For the first time, astronomers have snapped photos of auroras lighting up Uranus's icy atmosphere.

Two fleeting, Earth-size auroral storms were imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope as they flared up on the dayside of the gas giant in November 2011. (See "Uranus Has a Bright New Spot, Picture Shows.")

"The last time we had any definite signals of auroral activity on Uranus was when NASA's Voyager 2 probe swung by in 1986," said study leader Laurent Lamy, an astronomer at the Observatoire de Paris in Meudon, France.

"But this is the first time we can actually see these emissions light up with an Earth-based telescope."

Uranus Auroras Seen in Stroke of Luck

Auroras are light displays often seen at the highest latitudes of Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn—all of which all have magnetospheres that act as shields against incoming solar storms.

[cripplecreek]

Should have gone with the mild sauce on the burritos.

[Ken522]

Damn, first there were rings around Uranus - now there are auroras too???

[Figment]

There were no auroras seen on my anus. I don’t care what the story says

[Charles Henrickson]

Auroras Seen On Uranus For First Time

Whoa! Please excuse me for a moment, will you?

[Bikkuri]

Ex-wife always told me not to light up a cancer stick after passing gas o.O

[scripter]

I was looking for that pic of Obama with that glow around his head.

[Charles Henrickson]

Uranus Has a Bright New Spot, Picture Shows

Dang! And I just had a colonoscopy in December!

[Young Werther]

Didn't know that NASA could perfrom a colonoscopy!

They've done Youranus now they need to scope the Obamanation in the White House!

[Lazamataz]

FRY: This is a great, as long as you don’t make me smell Uranus. Heh heh.
LEELA: I don’t get it.
PROFESSOR FARNSWORTH: I’m sorry, Fry, but astronomers renamed Uranus in 2620 to end that stupid joke once and for all.
FRY: Oh. What’s it called now?
PROFESSOR FARNSWORTH: Urectum.

[irishtenor]

The last time we had any definite signals of auroral activity on Uranus...

I call them Klingons.

[cripplecreek]

Good news everyone!

[central_va]

Why is the Starship Enterprise like toilet paper? They both circle Uranus and look for Klingons.

[the invisib1e hand]

I was looking for that pic of Obama with that glow around his head.

This thread has been posted at least twice and I vainly searched for a tasteful and funny reply until I read this.

ding, ding, ding to you.

[GBA]

Sounds like the title of a gay love song.

[Lazamataz]

Click to hear the good news!

[Hoosier-Daddy]

I told you light shines out my ...

[Kid Shelleen]

I thought Barney Frank released a sex video..

[randita]

ping

[muawiyah]

I think they mean that Uranus has epilepsy ~ so somebody sees an Aurora!