Planetary
Magnetic Fields: Uranus
- A magnetic field was detected
by the Voyager spacecraft as it passed by the planet.
- The Uranian magnetic field is
40 times stronger than Earth’s.
Yet several
features stand out for Uranus
- Uranus rotates with a period of
about 17 hours, so that given the observed strong magnetic field, a fluid, conducting
interior should be present.
- Recall that the rotation axis
of Uranus is tilted by about 98o.
- The axis of the Uranian
magnetic field is inclined 58o.6 to rotation axis!
- The magnetic center is offset
from the core by 30% of radius!
The offset
of the magnetic field from the rotation axis gives the Uranian magnetosphere peculiar
features as it interacts with the Solar wind. The following video clips illustrates
this:
