Advertisement

Uranus Radio Waves Detected

Share
From Associated Press

The Voyager 2 spacecraft has detected radio emissions from the planet Uranus for the first time, strongly suggesting that the planet has a magnetic field, researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena said today.

Ed Stone, Voyager project scientist, said the radio waves are caused by electrons spiraling out from the planet in a distinctive pattern which indicates they are moving along magnetic field lines. The discovery will permit scientists to measure the length of a day on Uranus and tell how fast the planet is rotating, Stone said.

Advertisement