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| Uranus as seen by Voyager 2. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain |
Kathleen Mandt, a planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University's Applied
Physics Laboratory has published a Perspectives piece in the journal Science
arguing that NASA should send a dedicated probe to the planet Uranus. She
notes that a window is opening in 2032 for the launch of such a probe.
Planetary scientists have spent far more time studying Mars than they have
other planets, partly due to its close proximity and partly due to the fact
that Mars has a surface upon which craft can land. Planets that have thick
atmospheres, on the other hand, are more difficult to study, especially if
they provide no place to land.
Still, Mandt argues, such research is important. And initiating the
development of a probe to study Uranus, she adds, would be a good start. She
further notes that now would be a good time to begin such plans because the
next good window for launching a Uranus probe would be in 2032, when
Jupiter's alignment with Earth will allow a slingshot maneuver toward
Uranus. She even suggests a name for the probe: the Uranus Orbiter and Probe
(UOP).
Uranus is considered to be the odd duck of the solar system because of its
90-degree tilt relative to its orbit path—its tilt gives it the appearance
of rolling along a plane. The tilt also gives the planet extreme seasonal
variation as it circles the sun once every 84 years. And it makes
observations from Earth cloudy and hazy, which is not very conducive to
research efforts. Only one craft has ever ventured to Uranus—Voyager II,
back in 1986—and it only flew by on its way to Neptune.
Uranus is considered an ice giant because of the two heavy elements that
make up the bulk of its atmosphere: helium and hydrogen. It also has 27
moons that circle the planet, following its odd tilt. Uranus also has what
Mandt describes as "strange rings."
She also notes that not much else is known about the planet, which is why
NASA needs to place a probe into permanent orbit around it. The probe would
reveal the true nature of the planet's atmosphere, determine if its core is
made of rock or ice, and perhaps explain how it came to have such a strange
tilt. It also might help in efforts aimed at learning how ice giants form.
Reference:
Kathleen E. Mandt, The first dedicated ice giants mission, Science (2023).
DOI: 10.1126/science.ade8446
Tags:
Space & Astrophysics