Earth and Planetary Sciences News

Mysteries of Uranus' Oddities Explained by Japanese Astronomers

Uranus' strange axis of rotation and the unusual properties of its moons and ring system are likely due to an ancient giant icy impact.

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April 28, 2020

Published: April 28, 2020

The ice giant Uranus' unusual attributes have long puzzled scientists. All of the planets in our Solar System revolve around the Sun in the same direction and in the same plane, which astronomers believe is a vestige of how our Solar System formed from a spinning disc of gas and dust. Most of the planets in our Solar System also rotate in the same direction, with their poles orientated perpendicular to the plane the planets revolve in. However, uniquely among all the planets, Uranus' is tilted over about 98 degrees.

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