Auroras make celestial light show on Uranus possible, scientists find

Astronomers have achieved a significant milestone in their exploration of the solar system by capturing the elusive infrared auroras of Uranus using archived data from the colossal Keck II telescope located on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. These findings were published in the Nature Astronomy journal.

What does it mean?

The finding represents a significant leap forward in humanity's understanding of the ice giant planet Uranus.

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This is because for the first time infrared auroras have been identified on Uranus, shedding light on the intriguing celestial processes occurring on this distant ice giant located 2.79 bn years away from Earth.

Auroras on Uranus and Earth: What's the difference?

Just like the auroras on Earth, the auroras on Uranus are generated when charged particles from the solar wind interact with the planet's magnetic field, subsequently being directed along magnetic field lines towards the planet's magnetic poles.

Upon entering the atmosphere of Uranus, these charged particles engage in collisions with atmospheric molecules, making these molecules to emit light.

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On our planet, the beautiful auroral displays result from interactions with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, producing colors predominantly in shades of red, green, and blue.

However, Uranus stands apart due to its unique atmospheric composition. Dominated by hydrogen and helium, and existing at substantially lower temperatures than Earth, Uranus exhibits an auroral glow primarily in ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths.

The ultraviolet auroras on Uranus were initially observed by NASA's Voyager 2 probe in 1986 during its flyby of the planet. However, it has taken nearly four decades to identify and detect their infrared counterparts.

In the current discovery, astronomers have leveraged data obtained from the Keck II Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSPEC) dating back to 2006. The study revealed that the emission lines on Uranus stem from the H3+ molecule, a trihydrogen cation (pronounced cat-ion) possessing three protons and only two electrons, giving it a positive charge.

The infrared aurora on Uranus was the result of molecular hydrogen becoming ionised, resulting in the formation of H3+ cations following collisions with charged particles. This process produced a mesmerizing infrared auroral glow, visually reminiscent of the northern lights on Earth.

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