Introduction

In a groundbreaking revelation, scientists have announced that a day on Uranus is now officially 28 seconds longer than previously thought! Thanks to advanced observations by the Hubble Space Telescope, it has been confirmed that Uranus takes 17 hours, 14 minutes, and 52 seconds to complete a full rotation.

Historical Context

This new measurement surpasses the previous estimates made by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft during its flyby in the 1980s. A team of French researchers, led by Laurent Lamy from the Paris Observatory, meticulously analyzed a decade's worth of aurora data from the ice giant to gain insights into its magnetic poles, ultimately leading to a more accurate understanding of the planet’s rotation.

The Significance of Uranus' Rotation

Uranus, located as the seventh planet from the Sun, takes an astonishing 84 Earth years to orbit around it. This extensive time frame has always fascinated astronomers, and now with the precise rotation period mapped out, the findings open doors for further exploration of celestial bodies exhibiting similar characteristics.

Role of Hubble

In a statement, Lamy emphasized the vital role that continuous observations from Hubble played in arriving at this new conclusion. Furthermore, he noted that this innovative technique could be applied to accurately determine the rotation of other planets with auroras and magnetospheres.

Conclusion

These exciting findings were published in the prestigious journal Nature Astronomy and come just in time to celebrate the remarkable 35th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope, which was launched onboard NASA’s space shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990. With Hubble continuing to provide crucial data about our universe, who knows what other secrets await discovery in our solar system? Stay tuned for more astronomical news!