'Uranus just blinked': Astronomers chase starlight to uncover the ice giant’s mysterious skies
Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Rare Eclipse
On April 7, Uranus blocked a distant star, creating a perfect window to study its atmosphere—a chance last seen in 1996.
Light Curve
As the starlight bent through Uranus’s stratosphere, scientists captured a light curve revealing temperature, pressure, and density profiles.
Atmospheric X-Ray
The event offered a rare “X-ray view” into Uranus’s middle atmosphere, a zone invisible to most telescopes without such alignments.
Global Watch
Over 30 astronomers at 18 sites across North America teamed up in NASA’s largest Uranus-focused campaign in decades.
Mission Momentum
New insights from this occultation could fuel support for a long-awaited Uranus mission—possibly launching in the 2030s.
Orbital Update
Refined data from April’s event narrowed Uranus’s location in space by 125 miles, improving future spacecraft navigation.
Practice Makes Perfect
A rehearsal eclipse in 2024, seen from Asia, prepped observatories and instruments for this April’s crucial alignment.
Infrared Insights
NASA’s IRTF in Hawaii helped detect subtle temperature gradients in Uranus’s atmosphere, capturing data through infrared wavelengths.
Ice Giant Unity
Caltech’s Emma Dahl highlighted the power of global collaboration in decoding the mysteries of Uranus’s dynamic, cloud-rich skies.