NASA scientists have found a vortex of relatively warm air swirling over the north pole in Uranus, providing strong evidence for the first time on the existence of a cyclone.

The unique phenomenon was observed from a telescope located in New Mexico, which provided a deeper understanding of the planet’s atmosphere, including the discovery of the polar cyclone whose centre measures a quarter of Earth's diameter.

The scientists used microwave observations to spot the first polar cyclone on Uranus.

With the help of the Very Large Array radio telescope, scientists were able to look past Uranus’s clouds.

This helped them determine that the air at the north pole was quite warm and dry—which NASA believes—are the common traits of a strong cyclone. The observations were collected in 2015, 2021, and 2022.

The discovery has changed the understanding of Uranus that was initially seemed to be atmospherically inert when NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past the giant ice-laden planet in January 1986.

“While the general makeup of its atmosphere and interior are similar to Neptune - as far as we know - Uranus has some pretty unique features," said planetary scientist Alex Akins of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, lead author of the research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

"It spins on its side. And even then, its magnetic field is still misaligned with its rotational axis. The atmospheric circulation and internal heat release appear weaker than Neptune, but there are still a range of dynamical features and storms that have been observed," Akins added.

<h2>Uranus’ vortex different from Earth’s</h2>

However, unlike Earth's cyclones, the polar vortex swarming over Uranus is not formed of water vapour but of ices of methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, the scientists noted.

Nor does the storm drift, instead remaining rooted to the pole. Little else is known about it at this time.

Most of the planets in our solar system have shown signs of a swirling vortex at the poles, irrespective of whether they are composed of rock or gas

They have been previously observed on Venus, Earth,&nbsp;Mars,&nbsp;Jupiter,&nbsp;Saturn, Uranus (at its south pole) and Neptune.

It is believed that high-altitude atmospheric jet streams are responsible for the formation of these vortices, although the details differ on each planet.

(With inputs from agencies)

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NASA scientists have found a vortex of relatively warm air swirling over the north pole in Uranus, providing strong evidence for the first time on the existence of a cyclone.

NASA scientists have found a vortex of relatively warm air swirling over the north pole in Uranus, providing strong evidence for the first time on the existence of a cyclone. The unique phenomenon was observed from a telescope located in New Mexico, which provided a deeper understanding of the planet’s atmosphere, including the discovery of the polar cyclone whose centre measures a quarter of Earth's diameter. The scientists used microwave observations to spot the first polar cyclone on Uranus. With the help of the Very Large Array radio telescope, scientists were able to look past Uranus’s clouds. This helped them determine that the air at the north pole was quite warm and dry—which NASA believes—are the common traits of a strong cyclone. The observations were collected in 2015, 2021, and 2022. The discovery has changed the understanding of Uranus that was initially seemed to be atmospherically inert when NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past the giant ice-laden planet in January 1986. “While the general makeup of its atmosphere and interior are similar to Neptune - as far as we know - Uranus has some pretty unique features," said planetary scientist Alex Akins of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, lead author of the research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. "It spins on its side. And even then, its magnetic field is still misaligned with its rotational axis. The atmospheric circulation and internal heat release appear weaker than Neptune, but there are still a range of dynamical features and storms that have been observed," Akins added. Uranus’ vortex different from Earth’s However, unlike Earth's cyclones, the polar vortex swarming over Uranus is not formed of water vapour but of ices of methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, the scientists noted. Nor does the storm drift, instead remaining rooted to the pole. Little else is known about it at this time. Most of the planets in our solar system have shown signs of a swirling vortex at the poles, irrespective of whether they are composed of rock or gas They have been previously observed on Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus (at its south pole) and Neptune. It is believed that high-altitude atmospheric jet streams are responsible for the formation of these vortices, although the details differ on each planet. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

In a first, NASA finds strong cyclone swirling on north pole of Uranus

Uranus — the seventh planet from Sun — has not just one, two or three moons, but a total of 27 moons. New research suggests&nbsp;that four of its moons&nbsp;may be hiding oceans beneath their icy exteriors.&nbsp;

These four moons, namely Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, and Titania, are over 1500 km in diameter and have been studied extensively by scientists.&nbsp;

However, a fresh look at 40-year-old data sent to Earth by NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft indicates that the four moons may have oceans buried kilometres deep under their surface.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/sun-like-star-swallows-entire-planet-gives-glimpse-of-earths-fate-to-astronomers-589358">Sun-like star swallows entire planet, gives glimpse of Earth’s fate to astronomers</a>

Of these, Titania and Oberon, which orbit the farthest from Uranus, may have oceans buried some 50 kilometres (30 metres) deep. Oceans on Ariel and Umbriel, on the other hand, may be closer to the surface at 30 kilometres (19 miles) deep.

These astonishing findings were shared in a new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research in December 2022.

Talking to Space.com, Julie Castillo-Rogez, a planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and the lead author of this study said: "Finding oceans in the Uranian moons would increase the prospect that [...] ocean worlds are frequent in our solar system, and maybe — by extension — in other solar systems."

The new research can help explain how even in the frigid outer reaches of the solar system, persistent internal heat and a few chemicals can make the Uranian&nbsp;moons watery worlds.

As per the researchers, early in their histories, Uranus' five largest moons — namely Titania, Oberon, Ariel, Umbriel and Miranda — had substantial oceans that ran deep, ranging from 100 km to 150 km (62 miles to 90 miles).

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/saturns-vanishing-rings-further-its-cosmic-identity-crisis-589384">Saturn’s mesmerising rings vanishing, further aggravate its cosmic identity crisis</a>

"If the moons had benefited from long-term heating from their planet, then they could have maintained a thick ocean," said Castillo-Rogez.

Europa, a moon of Jupiter, and Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, both have significant subsurface oceans. The gravitational pull of their respective host planets causes these moons to experience deformation in their interiors and icy crusts, a phenomenon known as tidal flexing.&nbsp;

This process generates heat, which as per scientists, may be responsible for maintaining the subsurface water on these moons in a liquid, potentially life-supporting state.

However, Uranus has weaker tidal forces than Jupiter or Saturn, which means that the oceans on its four largest moons are "mostly frozen by now," according to Castillo-Rogez.

To gain a better understanding of the evolution of Uranus's largest moons, her team created a model using data collected from NASA missions that investigated other celestial bodies with subsurface oceans. The team examined findings from the Cassini mission, which studied Saturn's moon Enceladus, the Dawn mission, which explored the dwarf planet Ceres, and the New Horizons mission, which flew by Pluto and its largest moon Charon in 2015.&nbsp;

By analysing data from these missions, the team was able to construct a model of how the moons of Uranus may have formed and evolved over time.

The model created by the team reveals&nbsp;that the Uranian moons likely hold "thin oceans with high salt concentrations". This is likely due to limited internal heat left over from their births and considerable ammonia. The chemical is antifreeze in nature which helps keep water in its liquid form even in very low temperatures.

The researchers also suggest that the subsurface oceans could be habitable environments for microbial life that are adapted to living in extreme environments. They estimate that oceans would contain around 150 grams of salt per litre.&nbsp;Earth's Great Salt Lake in Utah has twice the salt volume but still boasts of life in and around it.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Uranus — the seventh planet from Sun — has not just one, two or three moons, but a total of 27 moons. New research suggests that four of its moons may be hiding oceans beneath their icy exteriors.

Uranus — the seventh planet from Sun — has not just one, two or three moons, but a total of 27 moons. New research suggests that four of its moons may be hiding oceans beneath their icy exteriors. These four moons, namely Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, and Titania, are over 1500 km in diameter and have been studied extensively by scientists. However, a fresh look at 40-year-old data sent to Earth by NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft indicates that the four moons may have oceans buried kilometres deep under their surface. Also read | Sun-like star swallows entire planet, gives glimpse of Earth’s fate to astronomers Of these, Titania and Oberon, which orbit the farthest from Uranus, may have oceans buried some 50 kilometres (30 metres) deep. Oceans on Ariel and Umbriel, on the other hand, may be closer to the surface at 30 kilometres (19 miles) deep. These astonishing findings were shared in a new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research in December 2022. Talking to Space.com, Julie Castillo-Rogez, a planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California and the lead author of this study said: "Finding oceans in the Uranian moons would increase the prospect that [...] ocean worlds are frequent in our solar system, and maybe — by extension — in other solar systems." The new research can help explain how even in the frigid outer reaches of the solar system, persistent internal heat and a few chemicals can make the Uranian moons watery worlds. As per the researchers, early in their histories, Uranus' five largest moons — namely Titania, Oberon, Ariel, Umbriel and Miranda — had substantial oceans that ran deep, ranging from 100 km to 150 km (62 miles to 90 miles). Also read | Saturn’s mesmerising rings vanishing, further aggravate its cosmic identity crisis "If the moons had benefited from long-term heating from their planet, then they could have maintained a thick ocean," said Castillo-Rogez. Europa, a moon of Jupiter, and Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, both have significant subsurface oceans. The gravitational pull of their respective host planets causes these moons to experience deformation in their interiors and icy crusts, a phenomenon known as tidal flexing. This process generates heat, which as per scientists, may be responsible for maintaining the subsurface water on these moons in a liquid, potentially life-supporting state. However, Uranus has weaker tidal forces than Jupiter or Saturn, which means that the oceans on its four largest moons are "mostly frozen by now," according to Castillo-Rogez. To gain a better understanding of the evolution of Uranus's largest moons, her team created a model using data collected from NASA missions that investigated other celestial bodies with subsurface oceans. The team examined findings from the Cassini mission, which studied Saturn's moon Enceladus, the Dawn mission, which explored the dwarf planet Ceres, and the New Horizons mission, which flew by Pluto and its largest moon Charon in 2015. By analysing data from these missions, the team was able to construct a model of how the moons of Uranus may have formed and evolved over time. The model created by the team reveals that the Uranian moons likely hold "thin oceans with high salt concentrations". This is likely due to limited internal heat left over from their births and considerable ammonia. The chemical is antifreeze in nature which helps keep water in its liquid form even in very low temperatures. The researchers also suggest that the subsurface oceans could be habitable environments for microbial life that are adapted to living in extreme environments. They estimate that oceans would contain around 150 grams of salt per litre. Earth's Great Salt Lake in Utah has twice the salt volume but still boasts of life in and around it. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Just three planets down from Earth, this icy alien planet's moons may be hiding oceans of salty water

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In a first, NASA finds strong cyclone swirling on north pole of Uranus

Just three planets down from Earth, this icy alien planet's moons may be hiding oceans of salty water

Gravitas: Scientists detect X-rays from Uranus