Advanced Intermediate Beginner Home English Spanish

The Source of Heat from Within Uranus



This is an infrared image of Jupiter showing regions which are hot.
Click on image for full size version (39K GIF)
Image from: NASA
The picture shows places on Jupiter which are hot. Jupiter is a very warm body in space, as shown in the picture, and this warmth is associated with the energy of Jupiter.

When the energy of the outer planets was calculated, that of Uranus was found to be low, similar to the amount of energy given off by the earth-like planets, and unlike that of Jupiter and Saturn.

In spite of the fact that the heat from within Uranus seems to be low, the movements of the atmosphere seem to be influenced by the energy of Uranus as if the heat from within was high. This is a mystery for planetary scientists.


Return to Interior


Credits Settings Sponsorship Membership Contact us About the site Site map Help Myths People News Arts, books and film Images and multimedia Tours Life Geology Physics Space weather Space Missions Solar system Astronomy and the Universe Shop for science stuff Games Ask a scientist Journal Comets Dwarfs Neptune Uranus Saturn Jupiter Asteroids Mars Earth Venus Mercury Sun Teacher resources Kids Space Search Home



Last modified November 6, 1997 by the Windows Team

The source of this material is Windows to the Universe, at http://www.windows.ucar.edu/ at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). © The Regents of the University of Michigan. Windows to the Universe® is a registered trademark of UCAR. All Rights Reserved. Site policies and disclaimer