Much of our understanding of the conditions on Uranus is based on Voyager’s trip, the researchers say, but when they reanalysed data from just before the flyby, they found there was likely an intense solar wind event just before Voyager’s visit.
This wind event would have compressed the magnetic field of Uranus and created conditions that probably only occur about 4% of the time, the researchers say, giving the impression that Uranus is more similar to the other giant planets in the solar system than it actually is. So, it sounds like the unlucky scientists caught Uranus on a particularly gusty day.
Jamie Jasinski and colleagues note that the understanding of Uranus is still very limited as these findings challenge previous assumptions and highlight the need for future missions to the planet to gain a more accurate understanding of its magnetosphere.
