Uranus aurorae (October 2022)

This visual showcases 3 images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of the dynamic aurora on Uranus in October 2022. These observations were made by the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and includes both visible and ultraviolet data.

An international team of astronomers used Hubble to make new measurements of Uranus' interior rotation rate by analysing more than a decade of the telescope’s observations of Uranus’ aurorae. This refinement of the planet’s rotation period achieved a level of accuracy 1000 times greater than previous estimates and serves as a crucial new reference point for future planetary research.

[Image description: This visual shows three panels that each show Uranus and dynamic aurora activity. The images were captured in October 2022 on the 8th, 10, and 24th respectively. Each image shows a centred planet with a strong blue hue and a visible white region. A faint ring is also visible around the planet in each image. Each image shows fuzzy blue/purple regions hovering over the planet in different locations to indicate the aurorae.]