What if we told you that diamonds indeed rain from the skies? Yes, you heard that right! Scientists said that diamonds could be literally pouring from the skies in many planets across the universe and couple of these planets are in our neighborhoods.

Is it raining diamonds on Neptune & Uranus? | 'Diamond rain' common on distant planets?

For the first time ever, Astronomers have detected X-rays from Uranus. It's unusual but is it good news or bad news?

Gravitas: Scientists detect X-rays from Uranus

In a first, astronomers&nbsp;have&nbsp;detected X-Rays from Uranus&nbsp;using Chandra X-ray Observatory. This result may help scientists learn more about this enigmatic ice giant planet in our solar system.

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and has two sets of rings around its equator. The planet, which has four times the diameter of Earth, rotates on its side, making it different from all other planets in the solar system.

Since Voyager 2 was the only spacecraft to ever fly by Uranus, astronomers currently rely on telescopes much closer to Earth, like Chandra and the Hubble Space Telescope, to learn about this distant and cold planet that is made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uranus-wasnt-always-tilted-find-out-what-actually-happened-291104">Uranus wasn't always tilted: Find out what actually happened!</a>

In the new study, researchers used Chandra observations taken in Uranus in 2002 and then again in 2017. They saw a clear detection of X-rays from the first observation, just analysed recently, and a possible flare of X-rays in those obtained fifteen years later.

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The main graphic shows a Chandra X-ray image of Uranus from 2002 (in pink) superimposed on an optical image from the Keck-I Telescope obtained in a separate study in 2004. The latter shows the planet at approximately the same orientation as it was during the 2002 Chandra observations.

What could cause Uranus to emit X-rays? The answer: mainly the Sun. Astronomers have observed that both Jupiter and Saturn scatter X-ray light given off by the Sun, similar to how Earth's atmosphere scatters the Sun's light.

While the authors of the new Uranus study initially expected that most of the X-rays detected would also be from scattering, there are tantalising hints that at least one other source of X-rays is present. If further observations confirm this, it could have intriguing implications for understanding Uranus.

One possibility is that the rings of Uranus are producing X-rays themselves, which is the case for Saturn's rings. Uranus is surrounded by charged particles such as electrons and protons in its nearby space environment.

If these energetic particles collide with the rings, they could cause the rings to glow in X-rays. Another possibility is that at least some of the X-rays come from auroras on Uranus, a phenomenon that has previously been observed on this planet at other wavelengths.

On Earth, we can see colorful light shows in the sky called auroras, which happen when high-energy particles interact with the atmosphere. X-rays are emitted in Earth's auroras, produced by energetic electrons after they travel down the planet's magnetic field lines to its poles and are slowed down by the atmosphere. Jupiter has auroras, too.

The X-rays from auroras on Jupiter come from two sources: electrons traveling down magnetic field lines, as on Earth, and positively charged atoms and molecules raining down at Jupiter's polar regions. However, scientists are less certain about what causes auroras on Uranus. Chandra's observations may help figure out this mystery.

Uranus is an especially interesting target for X-ray observations because of the unusual orientations of its spin axis and its magnetic field. While the rotation and magnetic field axes of the other planets of the solar system are almost perpendicular to the plane of their orbit, the rotation axis of Uranus is nearly parallel to its path around the Sun. Furthermore, while Uranus is tilted on its side, its magnetic field is tilted by a different amount, and offset from the planet's center. This may cause its auroras to be unusually complex and variable. Determining the sources of the X-rays from Uranus could help astronomers better understand how more exotic objects in space, such as growing black holes and neutron stars, emit X-rays.

A paper describing these results appears in the most recent issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research and is available online. The authors are William Dunn (University College London, United Kingdom), Jan-Uwe Ness (University of Marseille, France), Laurent Lamy (Paris Observatory, France), Grant Tremblay (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard &amp; Smithsonian), Graziella Branduardi-Raymont (University College London), Bradford Snios (CfA), Ralph Kraft (CfA), Z. Yao (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing), Affelia Wibisono (University College London).

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center controls science from Cambridge Massachusetts and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

In a first, astronomers have detected X-Rays from Uranus using Chandra X-ray Observatory. This result may help scientists learn more about this enigmatic ice giant planet in our solar system.

In a first, astronomers have detected X-Rays from Uranus using Chandra X-ray Observatory. This result may help scientists learn more about this enigmatic ice giant planet in our solar system. Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and has two sets of rings around its equator. The planet, which has four times the diameter of Earth, rotates on its side, making it different from all other planets in the solar system. Since Voyager 2 was the only spacecraft to ever fly by Uranus, astronomers currently rely on telescopes much closer to Earth, like Chandra and the Hubble Space Telescope, to learn about this distant and cold planet that is made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium. Also read| Uranus wasn't always tilted: Find out what actually happened! In the new study, researchers used Chandra observations taken in Uranus in 2002 and then again in 2017. They saw a clear detection of X-rays from the first observation, just analysed recently, and a possible flare of X-rays in those obtained fifteen years later. The main graphic shows a Chandra X-ray image of Uranus from 2002 (in pink) superimposed on an optical image from the Keck-I Telescope obtained in a separate study in 2004. The latter shows the planet at approximately the same orientation as it was during the 2002 Chandra observations. What could cause Uranus to emit X-rays? The answer: mainly the Sun. Astronomers have observed that both Jupiter and Saturn scatter X-ray light given off by the Sun, similar to how Earth's atmosphere scatters the Sun's light. While the authors of the new Uranus study initially expected that most of the X-rays detected would also be from scattering, there are tantalising hints that at least one other source of X-rays is present. If further observations confirm this, it could have intriguing implications for understanding Uranus. One possibility is that the rings of Uranus are producing X-rays themselves, which is the case for Saturn's rings. Uranus is surrounded by charged particles such as electrons and protons in its nearby space environment. If these energetic particles collide with the rings, they could cause the rings to glow in X-rays. Another possibility is that at least some of the X-rays come from auroras on Uranus, a phenomenon that has previously been observed on this planet at other wavelengths. On Earth, we can see colorful light shows in the sky called auroras, which happen when high-energy particles interact with the atmosphere. X-rays are emitted in Earth's auroras, produced by energetic electrons after they travel down the planet's magnetic field lines to its poles and are slowed down by the atmosphere. Jupiter has auroras, too. The X-rays from auroras on Jupiter come from two sources: electrons traveling down magnetic field lines, as on Earth, and positively charged atoms and molecules raining down at Jupiter's polar regions. However, scientists are less certain about what causes auroras on Uranus. Chandra's observations may help figure out this mystery. Uranus is an especially interesting target for X-ray observations because of the unusual orientations of its spin axis and its magnetic field. While the rotation and magnetic field axes of the other planets of the solar system are almost perpendicular to the plane of their orbit, the rotation axis of Uranus is nearly parallel to its path around the Sun. Furthermore, while Uranus is tilted on its side, its magnetic field is tilted by a different amount, and offset from the planet's center. This may cause its auroras to be unusually complex and variable. Determining the sources of the X-rays from Uranus could help astronomers better understand how more exotic objects in space, such as growing black holes and neutron stars, emit X-rays. A paper describing these results appears in the most recent issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research and is available online. The authors are William Dunn (University College London, United Kingdom), Jan-Uwe Ness (University of Marseille, France), Laurent Lamy (Paris Observatory, France), Grant Tremblay (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian), Graziella Branduardi-Raymont (University College London), Bradford Snios (CfA), Ralph Kraft (CfA), Z. Yao (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing), Affelia Wibisono (University College London). NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center controls science from Cambridge Massachusetts and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

Scientists discover X-rays coming from Uranus for the first time

Uranus wasn’t always tilted! A study claims that the planet was struck by an earth-size rock which then titled it and may also be responsible for birthing the planet’s moons.

Most planets in our solar system reflect the poles of the sun, the centre of our solar system. However, Uranus has always stood out.&nbsp;

The planet’s axis is titled by almost 98 degrees, which might not mean much, but stands out when compared to other planets.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://wionews.com/science-technology/massive-white-dwarf-star-resembling-space-snowman-spotted-by-scientists-283954" hreflang="en">Massive white dwarf star resembling 'space snowman' spotted by scientists</a>

For instance, our very own Earth is titled by over 23 degrees while Jupiter is tilted by 3 degrees.

In essence, Uranus is the only planet that spins on its side.

A Japanese study has now claimed that the collision with another giant rock may not just have titled the planet, but also birthed its 27 known moons.

Out of these, eighteen moons circle around the planet’s equator, as is customary.&nbsp;

However, Yuya Ishizawa at Kyoto University in Japan claims that these are the regular moons. For clarity - the irregular moons are those that were captured by the planet, hence they do not orbit around the planet’s equator, but circle the planet in a haphazard manner!

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://wionews.com/node/280673" hreflang="en">Doughnut in space: NASA unveils most distant object ever visited</a>

The Uranus, shortly after being born, was struck by a rock roughly the size of Earth, which tilted it.

The debris from the impact would then get stuck around the planet, which would then assume the characteristics of the planet’s natural moons and then stick around, or the researchers claim “captured”.

"Material from the two bodies is ejected in a debris disk, and finally satellites are formed from the debris disk," Ishizawa said in a conversation with Space.com. "It is possible to explain the axial tilt and the formation of the regular satellites of Uranus simultaneously", the researcher added.&nbsp;

Uranus wasn’t always tilted! A study claims that the planet was struck by an earth-size rock which then titled it and may also be responsible for birthing the planet’s moons.

Uranus wasn’t always tilted! A study claims that the planet was struck by an earth-size rock which then titled it and may also be responsible for birthing the planet’s moons. Most planets in our solar system reflect the poles of the sun, the centre of our solar system. However, Uranus has always stood out. The planet’s axis is titled by almost 98 degrees, which might not mean much, but stands out when compared to other planets. Also read: Massive white dwarf star resembling 'space snowman' spotted by scientists For instance, our very own Earth is titled by over 23 degrees while Jupiter is tilted by 3 degrees. In essence, Uranus is the only planet that spins on its side. A Japanese study has now claimed that the collision with another giant rock may not just have titled the planet, but also birthed its 27 known moons. Out of these, eighteen moons circle around the planet’s equator, as is customary. However, Yuya Ishizawa at Kyoto University in Japan claims that these are the regular moons. For clarity - the irregular moons are those that were captured by the planet, hence they do not orbit around the planet’s equator, but circle the planet in a haphazard manner! Also read: Doughnut in space: NASA unveils most distant object ever visited The Uranus, shortly after being born, was struck by a rock roughly the size of Earth, which tilted it. The debris from the impact would then get stuck around the planet, which would then assume the characteristics of the planet’s natural moons and then stick around, or the researchers claim “captured”. "Material from the two bodies is ejected in a debris disk, and finally satellites are formed from the debris disk," Ishizawa said in a conversation with Space.com. "It is possible to explain the axial tilt and the formation of the regular satellites of Uranus simultaneously", the researcher added.

Uranus wasn't always tilted: Find out what actually happened!

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