An anomaly on Uranus distorted the data from the Voyager 2 probe, revealing that the planet is not as it appears (photo included).

In 1986, NASA's "Voyager 2" spacecraft made its first and only close approach to Uranus. The majority of the information we have about the seventh planet from the Sun has been derived from the data collected by this spacecraft. Researchers published in Nature Astronomy assert that 38 years ago, "Voyager 2's" visit to Uranus coincided with a unique cosmic event, which distorted our understanding of this planet. As a result, scientists claim that our comprehension of Uranus has been incorrect for nearly 40 years, as noted by ScienceAlert.

Uranus is a planet shrouded in mysteries that continue to puzzle astronomers. When "Voyager 2" flew by at a distance of approximately 80,000 km from Uranus, it observed that this planet significantly differs from the other outer planets of the Solar System. Specifically, the instruments indicated that Uranus's magnetic field, also known as its magnetosphere, lacked the plasma typically found around other planets. Additionally, the data revealed that Uranus's radiation belts—regions of the planet's magnetic field that capture high-energy solar particles—were much stronger than expected.

Now, scientists have determined that "Voyager 2's" flyby of Uranus coincided with a unique cosmic phenomenon, which affected the data collected. In reality, the planet’s magnetic field and radiation belts are not as peculiar as they initially appeared. Researchers concluded that intense solar activity caused Uranus's magnetosphere to appear unusual, meaning that for almost 40 years, our understanding of this planet has been somewhat flawed.

Scientists believe that the extremely high solar activity led to the compression of Uranus's magnetosphere by about five times, creating unique conditions around the planet that influenced the results of the "Voyager 2" study.

According to the researchers, if NASA's spacecraft had arrived at Uranus just a week earlier, it would have captured an entirely different picture. The study showed that the solar wind—a stream of plasma emitted from the Sun, composed of charged particles—exerted significant pressure on Uranus's magnetosphere for a short period. This pressure was approximately 20 times stronger than usual.

This explains the almost complete absence of plasma in Uranus's magnetosphere, as it was significantly reduced, as well as the anomalously high strength of its radiation belts, which would otherwise be filled with energetic electrons coming from the Sun.

Scientists believe that the speed of the solar wind increased sharply due to heightened solar activity, an occurrence that is very rare. Without this event, Uranus's magnetosphere would resemble those of Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. The authors of the study assert that "Voyager 2" simply gathered data at an unfortunate time.

Researchers still have much to learn about the enigmatic planet Uranus, and they are urging space agencies worldwide to launch a new mission to this planet. Such a mission could also confirm the findings of the aforementioned study.

It is known that NASA plans to send a spacecraft to study Uranus in the early 2030s, but whether this will happen remains uncertain.