5d ago

Confirmed: Uranus Really Is Hotter Than It Has Any Right to Be

www.sciencealert.com

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/48332762

A new analysis of decades' worth of observations has revealed that Uranus does indeed emit more heat than it receives from the rays of the Sun.

science @lemmy.world

mysticpickle @lemmy.ca

5d ago

Confirmed: Uranus Really Is Hotter Than It Has Any Right to Be

www.sciencealert.com /confirmed-uranus-really-is-hotter-than-it-has-any-right-to-be

28 comments

I think we need to probe Uranus to find out why.
- 🤓 🤭
Particularly after taco Tuesday
- Gas giant, indeed!
Myanus has every right to be this hot
- That's the spirit!
...tee hee...
I broke a thermometer and part of it is still up there. What do?
- Sounds like mercury is in retrograde.
thanks babe
All i thought of when i saw this pic: great! another upgrade for "two pair"....
- I, too, enjoy Balatro.
So what causes this? The article doesn’t really say. Even though other gas giants do this too. What’s the theory on this?
- The innuendo was kind of fun for a few comments, but thank you for finally asking the question that was the reason I opened this thread.
- They don't seem to have a working theory yet, they just noticed the historical temps are higher than expected. Exited to see what more research reveals!
  
  Could there somehow be a new form of life on uranus causing it to be hotter than expected?
- i assume nuclear decay processes in its interior
  i.e. uranium decays into lead and that process releases some heat continuously for a very long time
  it also happens on earth, though i don't have any exact number for it. AFAIK, it's what keeps the earth's interior warm. otherwise it would have cooled down a lot more since the earth formed a few billion years ago.
  
  That all makes sense.
  But if the inner planets do this too, then why is it such a mystery? Sounds like every planet does this then.
Chemical or nuclear?
- I'm not at all sure about this, but isn't there decent reason to believe that the gas giants have solid cores? I mean, earth generates plenty of heat in its core (largely from nuclear decay I believe), I don't see why the same thing couldn't be going on in Uranus?
  
  My thoughts well summarised haha they are gas planets with significant mass. In astrophysics class I am sure they said gases heat up under gravity and stable fusion is obtained if enough heat/gravity/mass. They should still heat in the absence of fusion. I haven't read the research but I assume that's accounted for. So is the remaining heat chemical or nuclear? Maybe they have some heavy radioactive elements pumping out heat too? Or stored primordial heat being slowly released?
Only during a flare up.
I've often thought of my anus as the only gateway to hell
- I've had good luck with fiber + probiotic = happy bottom. (But check with your doctor.)
BeCAUZ Itz ThE MoThERSHip Of RevErSE VamPires SenT By ThE CovID VaCksCENe In DisGuys

28 comments