Mapping Uranus in 3D

We dive into JWST's first 3D map of Uranus's upper atmosphere, built from a 15-hour near-infrared spectrograph stare. The result is a full tomography from clouds to 5,000 kilometers, revealing a tilted, offset magnetosphere with rapid reconnection, two bright auroral bands divided by a dark gap, and a striking decoupling between heat and ionization. These findings challenge current models of atmospheric dynamics, illuminate the physics of the galaxy's most common planet type (sub-Neptunes), and point to exciting future missions that could reveal even more about ice giants and distant worlds.

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