gas giant – Astronomy Now

Hubble Space Telescope completes its annual ‘grand tour’ of the Solar System

13 December 2021 Astronomy Now

The Hubble Space Telescope takes its annual tour of the outer planets, capturing spectacular views of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune to help astronomers monitor their always changing weather patterns.

X-rays from Uranus caused by sunlight and, possibly, complex auroras

31 March 2021 Astronomy Now

Astronomers have detected X-rays from Uranus for the first time, likely caused by sunlight scattering off the ice giant’s atmosphere. But there are hints of complex auroral emissions.

Juno probe captures Jupiter’s polar cyclones in all their psychedelic glory

27 September 2020 Astronomy Now

A composite, extreme false-colour image of Jupiter’s northern polar regions based on data from NASA’s Juno orbiter highlights a striking assembly of huge cyclones roiling the giant planet’s atmosphere.

Juno peers into the depths of a titanic jovian storm system

12 November 2019 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured a jaw-dropping down-the-throat view of a huge storm swirling in Jupiter’s turbulent atmosphere earlier this month, a 2,000-kilometre-wide cyclonic system in the giant planet’s northern hemisphere.

Observe planet Uranus at its best in the autumn sky

27 October 2019 Ade Ashford

Have you ever seen Uranus with the naked eye? If not, moonless nights in late October and November offer ideal conditions to test your visual acuity and sky clarity. Uranus reaches opposition in the constellation of Aries on 28 October 2019 and lies 48° above the southern horizon at midnight as seen from the heart of the British Isles. Here is our guide to tracking down the seventh planet from the Sun.

Meteorite data indicate Jupiter underwent distinct growth phases

27 August 2018 Astronomy Now

Analysis of isotopes in meteorites shows Jupiter underwent distinct growth phases, rapidly accreting small particles to build a core and then slowing as it pulled in larger planetesimals that generated enough heat to slow gas accretion.

NASA’s Juno spacecraft closing in on Jupiter for 4 July orbit insertion

25 June 2016 Astronomy Now

On 4 July, NASA will fly a solar-powered spacecraft the size of a basketball court within 2,900 miles of the cloud tops of our solar system’s largest planet, Jupiter. Over the past two weeks, several milestones occurred that were key to a successful 35-minute burn of its rocket motor, which will place the robotic explorer into a polar orbit around the gas giant.

‘Hot Jupiter’ exoplanets may have formed very rapidly

18 September 2015 Astronomy Now

Twenty years after they were first discovered, ‘hot Jupiters’ — gas giant planets that orbit very close to their star — are still enigmatic objects. Using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, an international team of astrophysicists has shown that such bodies may only take several million years to migrate close to their newly formed star.

Habitable exomoons will need to be bigger than Mars

1 June 2015 Keith Cooper

Planet-sized moons orbiting huge gas giants could provide havens for life around other stars, but in order to be habitable these moons would need to be larger and more massive than Mars.

See ringed planet Saturn at its best

18 May 2015 Ade Ashford

Often referred to as the Jewel of the Solar System, Saturn reaches opposition on May 23rd and is currently best placed for observation during 2015. Despite the planet’s southerly declination, its glorious ring system is favourably tipped in our direction with the northern hemisphere on show.