Uranus (left) and Neptune, imaged by Voyager 2 NASA/JPL-Caltech
Uranus and Neptune are different shades of blue, and we may finally know why.
In visible-light images, Uranus appears a pale blue, while Neptune is a deeper, cobalt hue. Using data from the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories, as well as information gleaned from the Voyager 2 spacecraft, at the University of Oxford and his colleagues have developed detailed models of the atmospheres of both worlds that might explain the colour difference.
The thick, enshrouding skies of these planets are made of hydrogen and helium as well as…
