@all_around_science: Uranus Tilt Mysterious Origin Video: @nasajpl [H/t @ericlagadec ] and @gointerplanetary Montage: @itsthemind Article via @paulmattsutter on @spacedotcom "Uranus has the largest tilt in the solar system, at 98 degrees, which means it spins almost perfectly perpendicular to the direction of its orbit. Astronomers have long suspected that a series of giant impacts early in the planet's formation did the job of flipping Uranus on its side, but new research suggests a much less violent cause: a satellite of Uranus that wandered away.  if Uranus got hit hard enough to tip it over, why didn't the other planets? Jupiter and Saturn eventually developed thick clouds of gas, which could, over time, have gotten them upright again. But Neptune had a similar history to Uranus, and despite their small differences the two ice giants are extremely alike: they have similar atmospheres, both have tangled magnetic fields, and have similar sizes, masses and spin rates. So Uranus, could have been born with or quickly captured a massive moon. And if the moon was big enough, it could have started playing games with the planet's spin. Uranus likely started out with a random but small tilt. Over time, that tilt will precess, as astronomers call it, with the direction of the planet's rotation wobbling like a gigantic top." [Link in bio: https://www.space.com/uranus-tilt-from-lost-moon-not-impact] #Uranus #tilt #astronomy #space #cosmos #universe #science #planet #solarsystem #allaroundscience

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Tuesday 17 January 2023 20:31:59 GMT