Dark Spot on Uranus
Witness the first confirmed sighting of a dark spot on Uranus. Long hinted at, astronomers have finally observed a giant vortex, roughly 1,100 miles by 1,900 miles in area--two-thirds the size of the United States.
Witness the first confirmed sighting of a dark spot on Uranus. Long hinted at, astronomers have finally observed a giant vortex, roughly 1,100 miles by 1,900 miles in area--two-thirds the size of the United States. They spied the spot by training the Hubble Space Telescope on the planet's northern hemisphere, which recently emerged from shadow into the sunlight. The blotch seems to have formed recently, given that it did now show up earlier this year or in preceding yearly observations. The atmosphere on Uranus has long appeared inactive compared to Neptune, which is similar in size and atmospheric composition but displays many dark spots. The emergence of Uranus into sunlight may herald a new era of activity.
