Uranus: Microwave Images

• 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
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.11541997

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.