Hubble Refines Uranus Rotation Period: New Measurement at 17 Hours, 14 Minutes, 52 Seconds

New data from the Hubble Space Telescope has refined the rotation period of Uranus. Analyzing ultraviolet emissions from auroras between 2011 and 2022, researchers determined the planet's rotation to be 17 hours, 14 minutes, and 52 seconds. This revises the previous estimate from the Voyager 2 mission in 1986 by 28 seconds. The updated measurement, published in Nature Astronomy, provides a more accurate reference for tracking Uranus' magnetic poles and planning future missions. A team led by Laurent Lamy from the Paris Observatory tracked the movement of auroras at Uranus' magnetic poles using Hubble observations. This allowed them to refine the locations of the planet's magnetic poles and calculate a more accurate estimate of Uranus' rotational period. The continuous observations from Hubble were crucial for detecting the periodic signal with the achieved level of accuracy. The new measurement has an uncertainty of less than 0.04 seconds and provides a more reliable coordinate system for Uranus, expected to remain accurate for decades. This improved estimate will be valuable for future missions, aiding in defining orbital tours and selecting atmospheric entry sites.