NASA scientists have re-evaluated data from the 1986 Voyager 2 flyby of Uranus, suggesting the planet may support life. This new analysis indicates that the spacecraft encountered Uranus during an unusual solar wind event, which misrepresented the planet's magnetic field.
Space plasma physicist Jamie Jasinski from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory stated that the solar wind conditions during the flyby occurred only 4% of the time, leading to misleading observations. The study revealed that Voyager 2 visited Uranus shortly after a significant solar wind event compressed its magnetosphere to about 20% of its typical volume.
Previously, it was believed that Uranus's largest moons, Titania and Oberon, often orbited outside the magnetosphere. However, the recent findings suggest they remain within the protective bubble, potentially allowing for the detection of subsurface oceans.
Dr. Corey Cochrane, a planetary scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, emphasized that these moons are prime candidates for hosting liquid water oceans, a critical factor for the potential for life. The search for habitability is a central focus for NASA, with the mantra of 'follow the water' guiding their investigations.
NASA recently launched a mission to Jupiter's moon Europa on October 14, aiming to explore its capacity to support life. The agency is now keen to determine if the moons of Uranus possess conditions suitable for life.
Jasinski concluded that a future mission to Uranus is essential for a comprehensive understanding of the planet's magnetosphere, atmosphere, rings, and moons. Uranus, characterized by its blue-green color due to atmospheric methane, has a diameter of approximately 50,700 kilometers.