Hold onto your telescopes, space fans! Uranus just stretched its day by 28 seconds, and Hubble’s behind the discovery.
New research, published in Nature Astronomy, reveals that a full spin on the ice giant now clocks in at 17 hours, 14 minutes, and 52 seconds — thanks to decades of aurora observations by Hubble.
The finding overturns estimates from NASA’s Voyager 2 in the 1980s and highlights how the “gas giant’s” magnetic poles helped scientists crack the case. “Hubble’s long-term data was key,” said lead author Laurent Lamy, whose team tracked Uranus’ shimmering auroras to calculate its rotation.
Why does this matter? The method could help study other distant worlds with magnetic fields, like Neptune. Plus, the timing couldn’t be better: Hubble celebrates its 35th launch anniversary on April 24!
Next time you check the clock, spare a thought for Uranus — where a day just got a little more… cosmic.
Uranus just stretched its day by 28 seconds, and Hubble’s behind the discovery.
The method could help study other distant worlds with magnetic fields, like Neptune. Plus, the timing couldn’t be better: Hubble celebrates its 35th launch anniversary on April 24!
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