Since its launch, it\u2019s been responsible for some incredible discoveries, including observing light on an \u2018Earth-like\u2019 planet<\/a> for the first time and getting images of star clusters<\/a> on an infant galaxy.\u00a0<\/p>\n And its latest images have given scientists a glimpse into Uranus\u2019s upper atmosphere, and the auroras that form there.\u00a0<\/p>\n DISCOVER SBX CARS<\/a> \u2013 The global premium auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The James Webb Telescope has given scientists a \u2018first look\u2019 inside Uranus <\/p>\n The study, which was conducted by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), focused on Uranus\u2019s magnetosphere, which extends more than 3,100 miles above the planet\u2019s cloud tops.\u00a0<\/p>\n The telescope allowed astronomers to observe Uranus for almost one complete rotation, and they were able to detect a fair glow from molecules above the clouds.\u00a0<\/p>\n Researchers say Uranus\u2019s magnetosphere is \u2018one of the strangest in the Solar System\u2019 as it\u2019s tilted and offset from the planet\u2019s rotation axis, which means that auroras move in \u2018complex ways\u2019 across its surface.<\/p>\n Now, thanks to the James Webb Telescope, scientists have been provided with the most detailed data ever of where the auroras form, how Uranus\u2019s unusually tilted magnetic field impacts them, and how the planet\u2019s atmosphere has been cooling down over the last three decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first time we\u2019ve been able to see Uranus\u2019s upper atmosphere in three dimensions,\u201d Northumbria University\u2019s Paola Tiranti said<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Webb\u2019s sensitivity, we can trace how energy moves upward through the planet\u2019s atmosphere and even see the influence of its lopsided magnetic field.\u201d<\/p>\n The data also confirmed that Uranus\u2019s atmosphere has continued to cool since the 1990s. <\/p>\n Click the star icon next to supercarblondie.com inGoogle Search<\/a> to stay ahead of the curve on the latest and greatest supercars, hypercars, and ground-breaking technology<\/p>\n Auroras on Uranus act differently than here on Earth <\/p>\n Astronomers first detected auroras on Uranus with the Hubble Space Telescope back in 2012.\u00a0<\/p>\n But, new data has since confirmed that they behave very differently out on Uranus than the auroras we see on Earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n On Earth, the auroras \u2013 also known as the northern and southern lights \u2013 form in line with the north and south poles.\u00a0<\/p>\n But on Uranus, with its lopsided tilt, the auroras extended far beyond the planet\u2019s poles.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/uranus-1024x525.webp.webp\")
<\/a>ESA\/NASA<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/uranus1-1024x950.webp.webp\")
<\/a>ESA\/NASA<\/p>\n