Story perspectives

Webb Telescope Unveils Uranus's Mysterious Auroras and Atmosphere

2/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Webb space telescope mapped Uranus's upper atmosphere for 17 hours, revealing how its unusual magnetic field shapes auroras.
The study led by Paola Tiranti of Northumbria University and published in Geophysical Research Letters reports two bright auroral bands and ion-density depletion.
Uranus's upper-atmosphere temperatures are below -353°F (-214°C) and are cooling over time.
The findings advance understanding of energy dynamics in ice giants and inform studies of similar exoplanets.

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Story summary

The Webb space telescope mapped Uranus's upper atmosphere for 17 hours, revealing how its unusual magnetic field shapes auroras.
The study led by Paola Tiranti of Northumbria University and published in Geophysical Research Letters reports two bright auroral bands and ion-density depletion.
Uranus's upper-atmosphere temperatures are below -353°F (-214°C) and are cooling over time.
The findings advance understanding of energy dynamics in ice giants and inform studies of similar exoplanets.