Uranus : Discovery News

Hubble Spies Mysterious Aurora -- on Uranus

Posted Tue Apr 17, 2012 12:57 PM ET | 0

Faint glowing dots of auroral light have been spotted on Uranus, but astronomers aren't entirely sure how they are formed. Read more

Hubble Spies Mysterious Aurora -- on Uranus

Look Up! Saturn Opposes the Sun

Posted by Mark Thompson Thu Apr 12, 2012 11:29 AM ET | 0

Astronomer Mark Thompson shares his passion for the ringed planet, exposing some of its most enduring mysteries. Read more

There's a Mysterious Spot on Uranus!

Posted by Mark Thompson Fri Oct 28, 2011 03:20 PM ET | 0

There's a strange brightening in the Uranian atmosphere and amateur astronomers can help investigate what it is. Read more

Double-Whammy Knocked Uranus to Its Side

Posted by Irene Klotz Fri Oct 7, 2011 09:56 AM ET | 0

At least two Earth-sized objects may have smashed into the planet, toppling it on a tilt. Read more

Look Up! Uranus Opposes the Sun

Posted by Mark Thompson Tue Sep 27, 2011 03:06 PM ET | 0

Astronomer Mark Thompson investigates why the "ice giant" Uranus is at a very special point in its orbit. Read more

This Diamond Planet Will Last Forever

Posted by Irene Klotz Thu Aug 25, 2011 02:00 PM ET | 0

Scientists have found a planet they believe to be a giant diamond. Read more

Project Icarus: The Gas Mines of Uranus

Posted Tue May 31, 2011 08:43 PM ET | 0

Guest contributor Adam Crowl looks at the fuel required for an interstellar trip and finds a gas giant with huge mining potential. Read more

Kepler May Uncover Numerous Ring Worlds

Posted by Ray Villard Sun May 8, 2011 09:02 AM ET | 0

Planetary rings made of rock or silicates might be common in the Galaxy. Read more

Pluto-Bound Probe Sprints Across Uranus' Orbital Path

Posted by Ray Villard Fri Mar 18, 2011 01:51 PM ET | 0

The fastest man-made object ever built crosses the orbit of Uranus today on its nearly decade-long odyssey to the dwarf planet Pluto. Read more

Uranus Pathfinder: Mission to the Mysterious Ice Giant

Posted by Ian O'Neill Tue Jan 25, 2011 02:28 AM ET | 0

The only spacecraft to have visited Uranus was Voyager 2 in 1986. Now a team of scientists from Europe and the U.S. are planning a return mission to this bizarre planet. Read more

Voyager 2 Met Uranus 25 Years Ago

Posted Mon Jan 24, 2011 09:05 PM ET | 0

On Jan. 24, 1986, the NASA mission took close-up photos of the enigmatic 'ice giant.' Read more

When Will Neptune Complete Its First Orbit Since Discovery?

Posted by Ian O'Neill Wed Aug 18, 2010 02:37 PM ET | 0

As we approach the 164th anniversary of Neptune's discovery, there's another reason why we should celebrate this astronomical event: the gas giant is about to complete its first orbit since it was first spotted. Read more

When Will Neptune Complete Its First Orbit Since Discovery?

The Planet That Ate My Super-Earth!

Posted by Ray Villard Thu Mar 25, 2010 01:09 PM ET | 0

Neptune and Uranus may possibly be hiding 4-billion year old clues to interplanetary homicide. Read more

Diamond Oceans Possible on Uranus, Neptune

Posted by Eric Bland Fri Jan 15, 2010 07:14 AM ET | 0

Using incredible levels of pressure and temperature, scientists melt and then re-solidify a chunk of diamond and make a surprising revelation. Read more

Has the Mystery of Uranus' Tilt Been Solved?

Posted by Ian O'Neill Sun Dec 6, 2009 12:09 AM ET | 0

Uranus orbits the sun on its side. Although the consensus is that the gas giant must have collided with something to make it this way, two researchers have modeled Uranus getting "wobbled" by a large moon, tugging it off axis. ... Read more