Uranus is the seventh planet in the Solar System and has two sets of rings around its equator. Uranus is four times the diameter of Earth, and orbits its axis in a completely different way than the other planets in our galaxy.
| Chandra X-ray Observatory It is an X-ray telescope that operates in the Earth’s orbit. It is named after Subramanya Chandrasekhara (1910-1995), an American astronomer of Indian descent. In 1999, the Observatory launched the Columbia spacecraft. |
Reuters reports that this cold and distant body is completely composed of hydrogen and helium. What causes it to emit X-rays? According to NASA, the answer is very simple: especially the sun.
In addition, astronomers have previously observed that Jupiter and Saturn scatter the X-rays emitted by the Sun – just as the Earth’s atmosphere scatters sunlight. So it could be with Uranus.
Another possibility is that, according to scientists, X-rays are produced by Uranus’ rings, which is also the case with Saturn’s rings.
Uranium is surrounded by charged particles such as electrons and protons. Experts believe that if it collides with its rings, the rings will emit X-rays directly.
As for planetary rings in general, NASA says that by the end of 2018, using data from Voyager 1 and 2, scientists have found that Saturn is slowly losing its rings. The study found that Saturn’s gravity pulls ice particles out of the rings, turning them into dust. It is estimated that they will disappear completely within 100 million years.