In case you haven’t heard, we’re sending a probe to explore Uranus, so that we can all better understand what’s happening on the surface and deep inside.
I’ll give you a minute to stop laughing.
Everyone from NASA scientists to elementary school teachers knows that Uranus is the most giggle-inducing planet in our solar system. It’s right in the name, which most of us pronounce “your-anus,” despite the fact that a Greek scholar would tell you it should be “YUR-uh-nus.” That’s where most laypeople’s knowledge ends. And scientists barely know more—this strange ice giant has only been visited by human technology once, in 1986 when the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew by, snapped some photos, and took some preliminary scientific measurements. We know that one season on Uranus lasts 42 years, it’s the coldest planet in the solar system with some of the fastest winds, and it’s surrounded by a red ring and has a dark spot on it. If that wasn’t enough action for Uranus, in a fitting turn, below the upper atmosphere has what scientists call, “mushballs” which are clumps of water and ammonia. So yes, Uranus is full of stuff.
I’m so sorry. Just hang in there.
Fossil
Article URL : https://slate.com/technology/2022/08/nasa-uranus-probe-orbiter-lol-sorry.html