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Scientists Discover That Uranus Smells Like Rotten Eggs (space.com)
An anonymous reader writes: According to a study published in Nature Astronomy, scientists have determined that the atmosphere of Uranus smells like rotten eggs. The smell of Uranus was determined by the use of an Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer (NIFS), an instrument that allows scientists to determine what an atmosphere is composed of based upon the reflections of sunlight that bounce off of it. Specifically, the clouds in Uranus' upper atmosphere consist of hydrogen sulfide, the molecule that makes rotten eggs so stinky. "If an unfortunate human were ever to descend through Uranus' clouds, they would be met with very unpleasant and odiferous conditions," study lead author Patrick Irwin, of Oxford University in England, said in a statement. But that wayward pioneer would have bigger problems, he added: "Suffocation and exposure in the negative 200 degrees Celsius [minus 328 degrees Fahrenheit] atmosphere, made of mostly hydrogen, helium, and methane, would take its toll long before the smell."
The amount of jokes stemming from this article is endless.
Still, cool science, quite literally.
...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
Astronomers renamed Uranus in 2620 to end that stupid joke once and for all.
There's still gaps in our knowledge, but hopefully the scientists can get to the bottom of it. I hope they're not tooting their own horn prematurely, that would be shitty because they'd just make asses of themselves and be the butt of jokes.
Depends what I ate.
I tend to rant.