NASA has been ignoring Uranus. That may soon change.
Nadia Drake 3 hrs But beyond a handful of intriguing facts, scientists know woefully little about this milky blue world, which was visited for the first and only time by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986. That could be about to change.
A report prepared by planetary scientists and released this week has recommended that NASA make a mission to Uranus a top priority for the coming decade, perhaps launching a spacecraft to the seventh planet from the sun—as well as a thousand inevitable jokes—as soon as 2031.
“I think we’re going to see some real extraordinary surprises there and learn a tremendous amount about planet formation in general, and we may discover some new ocean worlds,” says Cornell University’s Jonathan Lunine, who chaired the report’s panel on giant planets.
Uranus is perhaps the strangest planet in the solar system. At some point during its history, the ice giant was knocked over, leaving it spinning on its side. More than a dozen rings circle the world, and some 27 moons cling to it. The planet’s atmosphere is a collection of hydrogen, helium, and heavier compounds that exist as ices deep in the frigid Uranian clouds.
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Lol, I hope I didn't ruin the serious post. I just couldn't resist.
