Uranus – My WordPress Site

Fully corrected and calibrated albedos of Titan (yellow), Saturn (green), Uranus (blue), and Neptune (red) covering 0.3 µm to 2.1 µm, offset for clarity. Regions of strong telluric absorption are masked in lighter shades, and it should be noted that they are less reliably corrected. The flat regions in the UV were flagged as bad pixels in all images by X-shooter. We also highlight a vertical discontinuity between the VIS and NIR arms of Titan, which is likely due to weather inconsistency. The colors used for these objects are the same in the following figures. -- Astronomy & Astrophysics

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Ice Giant, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Titan, Uranus

HiDef Neighbors: Solar System Objects As Exoplanet Analogs I. Gaseous Objects, Planets, Planetary Systems, And Small Bodies

by Keith CowingMarch 27, 2026

Context. Intermediate-resolution spectral observations are vital tools for characterizing the composition and physical properties of Solar System bodies in detail. At present, the planets and moons of our Solar System remain the only planetary environments for which spatially resolved high-quality spectroscopic data are obtainable. Observations that provide such data can advance knowledge of the Solar […]

The Pale Blue Dot is a photograph of Earth taken Feb. 14, 1990, by NASA’s Voyager 1 at a distance of 3.7 billion miles (6 billion kilometers) from the Sun. The image inspired the title of scientist Carl Sagan's book, "Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space," in which he wrote: "Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us." The above image, “Pale Blue Dot Revisited,” was created in 2020 for the 30th anniversary of the iconic picture. The updated version used modern image-processing software and techniques to revisit the well-known Voyager view, while attempting to respect the original data and intent of those who planned the images. NASA/JPL-Caltech Larger image

Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Uranus, Venus

Pale Blue Dot Anniversary

by Keith CowingFebruary 14, 2026February 14, 2026

Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG) -- NASA

Conferences and Meetings, Ice Giant, Neptune, Uranus

OPAG Town Hall at AGU Fall Meeting 2025: December 18

by Keith CowingDecember 13, 2025December 13, 2025

(left) This zoomed-in image of Uranus, captured by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) Feb. 6, 2023. The planet displays a blue hue in this representative-color image, made by combining data from two filters (F140M, F300M) at 1.4 and 3.0 microns, which are shown here as blue and orange, respectively.(right) Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) image of Neptune, taken on July 12, 2022, brings the planet’s rings into full focus for the first time in more than three decades. -- NASA/STSCI

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Ice Giant, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Neptune, Uranus

Uranus And Neptune Might Be Rock Giants

by Keith CowingDecember 10, 2025December 10, 2025

Ice Giants Pre-Decadal Survey Mission Study Report

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Ice Giant, Missions & Hardware, Neptune, Uranus

Ice Giants Pre-Decadal Survey Mission Study Report

by Keith CowingNovember 20, 2025November 19, 2025

The four giant planets as seen by Hubble WFC3/UVIS at different near-UV wavelengths, and processed by Judy Schmidt (note - these images are not shown to scale). The Jupiter and Saturn images are constructed from F343N (red), F275W (green), and F225 (blue), whereas a lack of observations for Uranus and Neptune required us to shift to redder wavelengths: F547M (red), F467M (green), and F336W (blue) for the Ice Giants. Jupiter and Ganymede were observed 2017-02-02 at 12:16UT, Saturn was observed at 2018-06-07 at 00:06UT, Uranus on 2015-08-30 at 10:08UT, and Neptune on 2015-09-02 at 07:58UT. Strong UV absorption is visible at the poles of Jupiter and Saturn due to the nature of highaltitude aerosols and the potential link to auroral chemistry. Red vortices, such as Jupiter’s Great Red Spot and Oval BA (lower left), appear dark due to the blue-absorbing chromophore responsible for their red colours. Uranus’ bright north polar cap of aerosols, and its narrow rings, are just visible in this image. Neptune’s banding, and some bright high clouds (appearing in pink) can be seen in both northern and southern hemispheres. In addition, Saturn’s rings appear reddish due to UV absorption. Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/Hubble/Judy Schmidt.

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Ice Giant, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus

Exploring Giant Planet Atmospheres with Habitable Worlds Observatory

by Keith CowingOctober 22, 2025October 22, 2025

Reprocessed images of Uranus [L]] and Neptune [R] NASA/JPL-Caltech (Uranus and Neptune); “Modelling the Seasonal Cycle of Uranus’s Colour and Magnitude, and Comparison with Neptune,” by Patrick G. J. Irwin et al., in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 527, No. 4; February 2024 (reprocessed images)

Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Ice Giant, Icy Worlds, Neptune, Uranus

Icy or Rocky? Convective Or Stable? New Interior Models Of Uranus and Neptune

by Keith CowingOctober 3, 2025October 3, 2025

New research suggests that Ariel, a moon of Uranus, might have once harbored an ocean over 100 miles (about 170 kilometers) deep. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/PSI/Mikayla Kelley/Peter Buhler

Ariel, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Miranda, Uranus, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Evidence Of A Past, Deep Ocean On Ariel, A Uranian Moon

by Keith CowingSeptember 30, 2025September 30, 2025

The rings of Saturn and Uranus as imaged by JWST NIRCam. These images provide an empirical example in which the flux of the ring system is comparable to, or even exceeds, that of the planet when observed with NIRCam. The image of Saturn was created using data from JWST GTO 1247.a The image of Uranus was created using data from JWST DD 2739.b -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Proxima Centauri, Saturn, tau Ceti, Uranus

On the Detection Of Exorings in Reflected Light With JWST NIRCam

by Keith CowingSeptember 19, 2025September 19, 2025

Uranus Flagship Workshop -- astro-ph.IM

Ariel, Ice Giant, Icy Worlds, Miranda, Missions & Hardware, Oberon, Titania, Umbriel, Uranus

The Uranus Flagship: Investigating New Paradigms for Outer Solar System Exploration Workshop Summary Report

by Keith CowingSeptember 2, 2025September 2, 2025