Planetary scientists have found a surprising link between Neptune and solar activity despite the ice giant planet being the solar system's farthest major planet.
This sequence of Hubble Space Telescope images chronicles the waxing and waning of the amount ofcloud cover on Neptune. This long set of observations shows that the number of clouds grows increasingly following a peak in the solar cycle – where the Sun's level of activity rhythmically rises and falls over an 11-year period.That was four years ago, but the team’s most recent images from June 2023 show that the clouds are still absent.
plotted along the bottom from 1994 to 2022. The Hubble observations along the top, clearly show a correlation between cloud abundance and solar peak of activity.The team found that two years after each solar cycle’s peak clouds appear on Neptune in great numbers, with a positive correlation between the number of clouds and the ice giant’s brightness from the sunlight reflecting off it.
“These remarkable data give us the strongest evidence yet that Neptune's cloud cover correlates with the Sun’s cycle,” said de Pater. “Our findings support the theory that the sun’s UV rays, when strong enough, may be triggering a photochemical reaction that produces Neptune’s clouds.” With solar maximum predicted for 2023, 2024 or 2025, a moment of truth could be imminent. Solar maximum is typically a moment in the solar cycle that can only be determined in retrospect. This time, all eyes will be on Neptune to see if its clouds can give some clarity.
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