The following was sent by H. Feuchtgruber (ISO SOC) and co-authors to the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. It appeared in IAU Circular No. 6514 on the 6th of December 1996.
H. Feuchtgruber, Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) Science Operations Center and Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik; T. de Graauw, Space Research Organization of the Netherlands and Kapteyn Astronomical Institute; E. Lellouch, B. Bezard and T. Encrenaz, Departement de Recherche Spatiale, Observatoire de Paris; and M. J. Griffin, Queen Mary and Westfield College, report:
"During October and November we observed Saturn, Uranus and Neptune in the 14-45-micron range with the ISO Short Wavelength Spectrometer in grating mode at a spectral resolution of 1000-1500. On Uranus, eight H2O emission features were detected (28.43, 28.59, 33.00, 35.91, 39.38, 40.34, 43.89 and 44.19 microns); a very preliminary analysis suggests that these lines are formed at temperatures of 200-300 K in the microbar region of the planet's upper atmosphere. Six H2O lines were also detected on Neptune, and three were found on Saturn. In addition, the Q branch of the CO2 nu2 band at 14.98 microns was observed in emission in the spectra of Saturn and Neptune."