Uranus, a huge gaseous world some 1.8 billion miles from the sun, is quite stormy.
NASA’s long-lived Hubble telescope spotted a notable storm churning inside the planet’s blue-green atmosphere, and the space agency posted the image online Thursday.
The entirety of Uranus’ north pole is engulfed by a “vast bright stormy cloud cap,” wrote NASA.
“Scientists believe this new feature is a result of Uranus’ unique rotation,” added NASA, noting that, unlike the other planets in our solar system, Uranus is tipped on its side. This leaves the sun shining non-stop onto its north pole during its long summer, likely resulting in widespread atmospheric changes. Read more…