A new study reveals that the seventh planet of the solar system, Uranus, may not be as strange as previously thought.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) suggest that the mysterious environment surrounding Uranus could be the result of an exceptionally powerful solar storm that occurred when a spacecraft passed near the planet.
NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft flew close to Uranus in 1986, providing the first detailed glimpse of the planet. Since then, no spacecraft has reached that far again.
Dr. William Dunn, co-author of the study, said that everything we know about Uranus is based on Voyager 2’s brief two-day visit to the planet.
He added that the new research suggests that the unusual behavior of the planet could be explained by the space weather conditions at the time the spacecraft passed by.
Based on these results, researchers are calling for a mission to send a spacecraft back to Uranus when there is no solar storm, to learn more about the planet.
