Astronomers at NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have detected X-rays from the planet Uranus for the first time.
The researchers used observations of the ice giant made in 2002 and 2017 to detect radiation as part of a new study published Tuesday in the Journal of Geophysical Research.
On examination and further analysis, they saw a clear detection of X-rays from the first observation and a possible flare of X-rays of those 15 years later.
Scientists believe that the sun could be the driving force that causes Uranus to emit X-rays.
Astronomers have previously observed that both Jupiter and Saturn scatter X-ray light from the sun.
However, while the study’s authors say they believe the detected X-rays would also be “scattering,” another X-ray source is also likely to occur.
As Saturn says, Uranus’ rings can produce the same X-rays or even the planet’s aurora, a phenomenon created when high-energy particles interact with the atmosphere.
“Uranus is surrounded by charged particles such as electrons and protons in its immediate space environment,” Chandra’s X-ray Observatory wrote in a statement. “If these energy particles collide with the rings, they could make the rings shine in X-rays.”
X-rays are emitted at the auroras of the Earth and Jupiter also has auroras, although the X-rays of the auroras at Jupiter come from two sources.
However, an almost identical NASA statement notes that researchers remain uncertain about what causes auroras in Uranus.
The agency wrote that the unusual orientations of its axis of rotation and magnetic field can make the planet’s auroras “unusually complex and variable.”
Uranus’ axis of rotation is almost parallel to its orbit around the sun, unlike the axes of other planets in the solar system, and while Uranus is tilted to its side, its magnetic field is tiled in a different amount.
“Determining Uranus’ X-ray sources could help astronomers better understand how more exotic objects in space, such as black holes and neutron stars, emit X-rays, ”NASA wrote.
Uranus is the seventh planet in the solar system. It has two sets of rings around its equator. Its diameter is four times that of the Earth.
Because Voyager 2 was the only spacecraft to ever fly over Uranus, astronomers rely on telescopes like Chandra to learn more about the cold planet, which is made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium.