Uranus Ring Plane Crossing

[brellis]

Sky&Telescope Article<br /><br /><font color="orange">On Thursday, August 16th, Earth will cross the equator and ring plane of Uranus, and astronomers all over the world will be on watch. The unusual geometry offers a unique view of the planet's atmosphere, satellites and ring system. "This won't happen again for a long time," says planetary researcher Heidi Hammel (Space Science Institute, Colorado). "We don't know what we're going to see. It's exciting."<br /><br />Uranus's orbital period of 84 years means that we get ring-plane crossings only every 42 years. During the last one, in 1965, little was known about the distant planet, the ring system hadn't been discovered, space telescopes sounded like science fiction, and the 5-meter Hale telescope on Palomar Mountain was the world's largest. "To study Uranus, you need big telescopes," says Hammel. "This is really the first time we can do these kind of observations."<br /><br />Because of Earth's own orbital motion, our planet actually crosses the Uranian ring plane three times in succession: on May 2, 2007, August 16, 2007, and February 20, 2008. The August event is by far the most favorable; Uranus will be less than a month from its opposition to the Sun (on September 9th), so it will be visible almost all night (in Aquarius). Another interesting fact is that December 7, 2007, is the date of Uranian equinox, when the Sun will cross the planet's equatorial plane.</font>/safety_wrapper> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[3488]

Interesting indeed.<br /><br />42 years ago in 1965 (not to mention that the Uranian Rings were not even <br />known then), we did not have the kit that we do today to observe this.<br /><br />I hope that both Hubble Space Telescope & Spitzer will observe.<br /><br />Also mutual events of the moon, may allow for some crude mapping of the unseen <br />parts, not imaged by Voyager 2.<br /><br />I wonder if the Uranian weather will throw up few more surprises.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[brellis]

Too bad Hubble's main camera is offline <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[3488]

I know brellis.<br /><br />it is a devastating failure in many respects. We could really do with ACS for the Uranus<br />Equinox.<br /><br />However WFPC 2 is still working very well, although not as high resolution as ACS, it<br />is still a fine instrument.<br /><br />It did brilliantly with the Jupiter & Io observations to back up New Horizons, so I think<br />it will perform well for the Uranus equinox.<br /><br />It will not happen again till, 2049 (I will be 80 then), so it will be interesting to follow<br />Uranus from this equinox to the next. How the weather changes as the equinox turns <br />back into another solstice in 2028.<br /><br />Interesting stuff to follow.<br /><br />Below Ariel transiting Uranus.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Uranus Ring Plane crossing today as viewed from Earth.<br /><br />First time this has happened with modern instrumentation.<br /><br />Stayed tuned as updates should be appearing shortly.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Uranus Ring plane crossing.<br /><br />KECK Observatory with AO.<br /><br />Here we can see slightly onto the UNLIT side of the rings. First time ever they have been<br />seen backlit, other than from Voyager 2.<br /><br /> Uranus KECK obs.<br /><br />Edge on in May 2007.<br /><br />Article dated: Thursday 23rd August 2007.<br /><br />The oblateness of Uranus is very obvious. This is mostly seen with Saturn & somewhat less obvious <br />with Jupiter. <br /><br />Uranus is not much less oblate than Saturn, but Uranus is only seen like this every <br />42 years around the Uranian Equinox. <br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Another view.<br /><br />Uranus rings closing up.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Uranian ring system closing up labled.<br /><br />KECK observatory AO.<br /><br />Andrew Brown.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[brellis]

thanks once again for the scoop, Andrew<br /><br />It took a few days for scientists to digest the observation data from the crossing.<br /><br />SF Chronicle article<br /><font color="orange">(08-23) 15:12 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Strange things are happening to the rings of Uranus, that little blue planet way out there in the solar system.<br /><br />It has rings and moons and once every 42 years the planet's tilted angle lets Earthbound observers briefly catch three edge-on views of the rings instead of the usual direct view that makes them appear as if they were sunlit paintings on the flat rim of a dinner plate.<br /><br />The time for the rare views is right now, and a team of astronomers from UC Berkeley and the SETI Institute in Mountain View has seen some dramatic changes - some rings are growing brighter, at least one is fading away, and another is either new-formed or unexpectedly moving outward from the planet by thousands of miles.<br /><br />At the same time, a broad, diffuse cloud of microscopic dust particles seems to be pervading the entire ring system.</font><br /><br />more analysis to come, for sure <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[3488]

No probs brellis.<br /><br />I promised that I would find news on this event & have kept it.<br /><br />How about this HUBBLE Space Telescope scoop????<br /><br />Also look at the 2007 image. The oblateness of Uranus due to its quick rotation <br />is most obvious. Also something we have not really seen before.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Full size Hubble Space Telescope image of Uranus in 2007.<br /><br />The oblateness of Uranus is very obvious. This is mostly seen with Saturn & somewhat less obvious<br />with Jupiter. <br /><br />Uranus is not much less oblate than Saturn, but Uranus is only seen like this every <br />42 years around the Uranian Equinox.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Forgot to mention.<br /><br />In the 2007 HST image, the 'fans' are a light scattering effect. The thin 'spikes' of light are real,<br />they are the rings pretty well edge on. <br /><br />I think that I needed to clarify that.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[Aetius]

Thanks. I saw the fans, and thought to myself, "How did Voyager 2 ever survive a trip through that cloud of hypersonic, microscopic ice bullets?"

 

[3488]

Hi aetius,<br /><br />IMO, Voyager 2 would not have survived passing through a hail of particles like that.<br /><br />Hopefully soon, we will get to see the August ring plane crossing observations.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

New Article. Crossing the Ring Plane of Uranus.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[eosophobiac]

Andrew, you do know that as a <i>'Solar System"</i> you may approve your own images, right? I only point that out as none of your images have been approved yet. And I for one would be interested to see them. Thanks.<br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Actually, no images can be approved at all right now.<br />We are in a lockdown condition as far as images are concerned due to a hacker.<br /><br />See the IMAGE APPROVAL thread in Suggestions and Announcements <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[brellis]

Special thanks to Andrew, SDC's Ring Plane Crossing Guard <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /><br /><br />I love articles that reveal the human side of observing. To read Ms Dawson's account of her stay on top of Mauna Kea really puts me in the observer's chair, spinning knobs in anticipation of finding something no one has seen before. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[3488]

Hi eosophobiac,<br /><br />Thank you very much for your thoughtful post.<br /><br />MeteorWayne is correct, some friggin troll attempted to upload a virus or hack, through the<br />image approval system.<br /><br />Here are some images:<br /><br />Ariel transiting Uranus. Hubble Space Telescope.<br /><br /> Size comparisons.<br /><br /> Uranus leading up to & including Ring Plane Crossing. Note the large storm in the 2005 image <br />(it is real), & how oblate Uranus is due to its quick rotation. This is something we do <br />not see often, only really at times such as this.<br /><br />Uranus & Neptune, false & true colours. Hubble Space Telescope.<br /><br />Uranus false colour, showing very stormy weather. Hubble Space Telescope.<br /><br />Uranus approaching the equinox. Keck AO.<br /><br /> Uranus leading up to equinox. Keck AO.<br /><br />Uranus Rings at plane crossing. View showing just over onto the dark side of the Uranian Rings.<br />Keck AO.<br /><br />Uranus Ring Plane Crossing on Thursday 16th August 2007. <br />Note the <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[Aetius]

Thanks again, Andrew. Your posts are always read with interest.

 

[brellis]

Time to head north for the Uranian summer <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[3488]

It sure is Brad,<br /><br />Hopefully we will get some new observations soon.<br /><br />It is the first time since the use of modern equipment that Uranus has been presented<br />like this.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>