Uranus Heat Readings Contradict 40-Year-Old Voyager 2 Results

It's been almost 40 years since Voyager 2 flew past Uranus, but its readings from that whistlestop flyby have remained some of the most important for how we understand the planet. But new data from a study at the University of Houston suggests that some of it might be wrong. Where the Voyager 2 readings suggested that Uranus didn't have much in the way of internal heat, the latest research suggests that it emits notably more heat than it receives from the Sun. This could mean Uranus is still venting some of the heat built up during its long-ago creation.

Scientists looked at decades' worth of data, combining reports and readings from various spacecraft and new computer modeling. The result was a claim that Uranus actually puts out 12.5% more heat than it receives from the sun. Although that remains far less than the heat output from ...