| Uranus Uranus is the third-largest planet in the solar system Also, the first planet to be discovered with the aid of a telescope. Uranus has the two sets of rings and 28 known moons. Major moons, Titania and Oberon, remain within the magnetosphere, aiding magnetic detection of subsurface oceans. |
- Uranus discovered in 1781, has remained enigmatic despite Voyager 2’s 1986 flyby.
- As Voyager 2 encountered Uranus during in an intense solar wind event observations left a mis-impression about the magnetosphere of Uranus as lacking in plasma and possessing uncommonly intense belts of highly energetic electrons
- Uranus’ magnetosphere is now believed to resemble Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune under normal conditions.
- Plasma observed likely originated from its atmosphere, not the solar wind or moons.
| Voyager Program The Voyager Program, initiated by NASA in 1977, consists of two spacecraft, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched on a trajectory towards the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn and enabled further encounters with the ice giants Uranus and Neptune. Voyager 2 is NASA’s longest-running mission and the second human-made object in history to exit the Heliosphere after Voyager 1. Each one carries, Golden Record, a time capsule of Earth’s culture and life for potential extraterrestrial encounters. |
Dig Deeper: Read about the Plasma-fourth stage of matter.
