Scientists discover Uranus isn’t as cold as originally thought: NASA researchers report the planet generates heat

For decades, Uranus has held the title of the coldest planet in the solar system, with atmospheric temperatures plunging to nearly -224°C (-371°F). But new research from NASA suggests that the ice giant might not be as cold as once believed.

According to recent findings, Uranus appears to generate some of its own internal heat, a surprising discovery that challenges long-standing assumptions about the planet’s inner workings.

Unlike its neighbour Neptune, which has long been known to emit more heat than it receives from the Sun, Uranus has puzzled scientists with its apparent lack of internal heat.

Until now, astronomers believed Uranus was a frozen, slumbering giant without the kind of active interior seen in other gas and ice giants. “Since Voyager 2’s flyby, everybody has said Uranus has no internal heat,” said Amy Simon, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “But it’s been really hard to explain why that is, especially when compared with the other giant planets.”

Now, scientists led by Xinyue Yang of the University of Houston used decades of spacecraft observations and computer models — including taking another look at older Voyager 2 data — that indicates there may be subtle but measurable signs of heat escaping from the planet’s interior.

“From a scientific perspective, this study helps us better understand Uranus and other giant planets,” Wang said in the statement. The researchers also believe this new understanding of Uranus’ internal processes could help NASA and other agencies plan for missions to the distant planet.

Liming Li, a co-author of the study, said the study of Uranus’ internal heat could also help inform studies of similar processes here on Earth, including our own changing climate: “By uncovering how Uranus stores and loses heat, we gain valuable insights into the fundamental processes that shape planetary atmospheres, weather systems and climate systems. These findings help broaden our perspective on Earth’s atmospheric system and the challenges of climate change.”

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