Have We Been to Uranus? We Asked a NASA Expert: Episode 56

Publicerad denFörfattareRss .

[embedded content]

Have we ever been to Uranus?

The answer is simple, yes, but only once. The Voyager II spacecraft flew by the planet Uranus back in 1986, during a golden era when the Voyager spacecraft explored all four giant planets of our solar system. It revealed an extreme world, a planet that had been bowled over onto its side by some extreme cataclysm early in the formation of the solar system.

That means that its seasons and its magnetic field get exposed to the most dramatic seasonal variability of any place that we know of in the solar system. The atmosphere was a churning system made of methane and hydrogen and water, with methane clouds showing up as white against the bluer background of the planet itself.
The densely packed ring system is host to a number of very fine, narrow and dusty rings surrounded by a collection of icy satellites. And those satellites may harbor deep, dark, hidden oceans beneath an icy crust of water ice.

Taken together, this extreme and exciting system is somewhere that we simply must go back to explore and hopefully in the next one to two decades NASA and the European Space Agency will mount an ambitious mission to go out there and explore the Uranian system. It’s important not just for solar system science, but also for the growing field of exoplanet science. As planets of this particular size, the size of Uranus, about four times wider than planet Earth, seem to be commonplace throughout our galaxy.

So how have we been to Uranus? Yes, but it’s time that we went back.

[END VIDEO TRANSCRIPT]

Full Episode List

Full YouTube Playlist Läs mer…

NASA’s Planetary Defenders Documentary Premieres April 16

Publicerad denFörfattareRss .

NASA is bringing the world of planetary defense to the public with its new documentary, “Planetary Defenders.”What would humanity do if an asteroid were headed for Earth? The documentary takes viewers inside the real-life efforts of scientists and engineers working to detect, track, and mitigate potential asteroid threats. Featuring firsthand accounts from experts on the front lines, the film reveals the science, technology, and personal dedication behind planetary defense. The film also showcases the teamwork that drives this critical global effort.

[embedded content]

Debuting on NASA+ Wednesday, April 16, NASA is inviting the public to participate in a special YouTube Premiere event at 4:30 p.m. EDT. During this interactive screening, viewers can watch the first public showing of the film together and ask questions to NASA planetary defense experts.

To engage audiences further, NASA is providing digital creators with a toolkit that includes resources, activities, and ways to join the mission of planetary defense.

Established in 2016, NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office leads the agency’s mission to find, track, and understand asteroids and comets that could pose a risk to Earth.

Stay up to date on NASA’s planetary defense efforts: https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense Läs mer…