LONDON: Experts studying Uranus noted in their research that they encountered something very astonishing about the seventh planet of the solar system.
Their findings, published in the journal arXiv, revealed that the amount of methane gas in the ice giant is significantly higher than previously thought, and it exists in a form that is not entirely gaseous, as reported by Metro UK.
Contrary to previous assumptions, Uranus doesn’t have methane gas entirely frozen or in a squishy state. Scientists estimate that only about 10% of the planet may have methane in a soft form. These new findings challenge the earlier belief that Uranus was predominantly composed of water and ice.
Astronomers are now investigating the reason behind Uranus’s massive size during the formation of the solar system. It was previously thought that planets initially formed from clouds and dust around the sun. As these materials aggregated, they eventually formed different planets, including planetesimals ranging from a few miles to several hundred miles in size.
According to the report, the massive objects within Uranus are thought to resemble comets from the Kuiper Belt. However, if these comets lack the material to produce water, then where did Uranus’s ice come from?
Due to its distance from Earth, very little is known about Uranus, and only one spacecraft, Voyager 2, has ever flown past it. Using advanced technology, scientists have identified thin outer layers of hydrogen and helium with a rocky core. Experts believe there may be water present in between, around 50,000 times as much as on Earth.
By utilizing various models, researchers have determined that methane on Uranus exists in either a solid or mushy state between the outer and icy layers.
