Uranus, infrared image. The northern hemisphere (left of rings) is coming out of many decades of darkness. The bright white and blue spots in the sour

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Uranus, infrared image. The northern hemisphere (left of rings) is coming out of many decades of darkness. The bright white and blue spots in the sourthern hemisphere are clouds above the Uranian atmosphere. Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and the third largest in the solar system. Methane in the upper atmosphere absorbs red light, giving the planet its blue- green colour. Uranus' tilt is thought to have been caused by a collision with a large body early in the solar system's history. Image gathered by the 10-metre Keck Telescope, Hawaii, on 11-12 July, 2004.

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Size: 2001px × 3158px
Photo credit: © CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -infrared, 11-12, 11/07/2004, 12/07/2004, 2004, astronomical, astronomy, atmosphere, cloud, clouds, gas, giant, hemisphere, infrared, ir, july, keck, methane, northern, planet, planetary, ring, ringed, rings, single, solar, southern, space, system, telescope, tilt, tilted, uranus, weather