Uranus: Microwave Images

Observations of Uranus at wavelengths of 2 and 6 centimeters with the Very Large Array were made in 1980 and 1981. The resulting maps of brightness temperature show a subsolar symmetry at 2 centimeters but a near-polar symmetry at 6 centimeters. The 6-centimeter maps show an increase in temperature...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1984-08, Vol.225 (4662), p.619-621
Main Authors: Jaffe, Walter J., Berge, Glenn L., Owen, Tobias, Caldwell, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ammonia
Ammonia - analysis
Astronomical research
Astronomy
Astronomy - methods
Atmosphere - chemistry
Brightness temperature
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Extraterrestrial Environment
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Magnetic fields
Magnetic polarity
Microwaves
Observations
Opacity
Planetary temperature
Planets, their satellites and rings. Asteroids
Solar system
Space life sciences
Spectrum Analysis
Temperature
Uranus
Uranus (Planet)
Very Large Array
Wavelengths
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Summary:Observations of Uranus at wavelengths of 2 and 6 centimeters with the Very Large Array were made in 1980 and 1981. The resulting maps of brightness temperature show a subsolar symmetry at 2 centimeters but a near-polar symmetry at 6 centimeters. The 6-centimeter maps show an increase in temperature from equator to pole with some evidence for a warm ``ring'' surrounding the north pole. The disk-average temperatures (147 $\pm $ 5 K and 230 $\pm $ 6 K at 2 and 6 centimeters, respectively) are distinctly lower than recently reported values; these results suggest that the secular increase in temperature reported during the last 15 years has been reversed. The variations in brightness temperature probably reflect variations in ammonia abundance in the planet's atmosphere, but the mechanism driving these variations is still unclear.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.11541997