Story perspectives

James Webb Reveals Uranus's Cooling Atmosphere and Auroras

2/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

An international team mapped Uranus's atmosphere with the James Webb Space Telescope, observing temperature and ion density variations up to 5,000 km.
The atmosphere is still cooling, averaging 426 kelvin (150°C).
Two bright auroral bands were detected near the magnetic poles, shaped by the tilted magnetic field.
The findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters, advancing understanding of energy distribution in ice giants and aiding characterization of distant planets.

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Story summary

An international team mapped Uranus's atmosphere with the James Webb Space Telescope, observing temperature and ion density variations up to 5,000 km.
The atmosphere is still cooling, averaging 426 kelvin (150°C).
Two bright auroral bands were detected near the magnetic poles, shaped by the tilted magnetic field.
The findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters, advancing understanding of energy distribution in ice giants and aiding characterization of distant planets.