Uranus Has a Bright New Spot, Picture Shows

Icy planet may have towering methane cloud, expert says.

A Hubble picture of Uranus in 2005, shortly before the planet's equinox.

Image courtesy NASA/ESA and M. Showalter, SETI

Rachel Kaufman

for National Geographic News

Published November 2, 2011

In a surprise to astronomers, Uranus recently presented onlookers with a new spot on its northern hemisphere.
Near-infrared pictures from the 8.1-meter Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii have revealed a region on the giant planet that's much brighter than its surroundings.
The spot is likely a tall methane cloud that reaches high enough for us to see sunlight scattered by its icy particles, said Uranus expert Heidi Hammel, executive vice president of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA).

MORE: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/11/111021-uranus-planet-new-spot-storm-methane-gemini-space-science/

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