Evidence for temporal change at Uranus' south pole

Abstract

Analysis of Hubble Space Telescope images of Uranus taken between 1994 and 2002 shows evidence for temporal changes in zonal brightness patterns in the south polar region. Between 1994 and 2002, a relatively bright ring developed near 70° S. The pole itself, which was the brightest area of the southern hemisphere in 1994, has become relatively dark. The polar collar at 45° S has also become brighter relative to the rest of the southern polar region. Comparison of images through different filters suggests that the change is occurring at pressures of 2–4 bars in the atmosphere. A change at this depth is consistent with radio measurements which indicate seasonal variability in Uranus' deep atmosphere. Disk-integrated photometry at visible wavelengths also exhibits variability on seasonal (∼ decades) timescales. The observed changes are not predicted by existing dynamical models of Uranus' atmosphere.