Uranus, the ice giant, may have been misunderstood for nearly 40 years

Uranus in a photo taken by the Nasa spacecraft Voyager 2 in 1986. (Image: Nasa/JPL-Caltech)

Sat, 16 Nov 2024

By Rachel PannettUranus, the third-largest planet in our solar system, has always been something of an enigma.Now, it seems that our understanding of the planet – garnered mostly from a flyby by a Nasa spacecraft nearly 40 years ago – may be flawed.A study published in the journal Nature Astronomy suggests that when Voyager 2 zipped by in 1986, Uranus was in the midst of a rare solar wind event that coloured scientists’ conclusions about the ice giant.“Our understanding of the Uranus system may be more limited than...

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