Uranus is one of the most unusual planets in the solar system. Its axis is inclined at an angle of 98° to the plane
The researchers ran simulations with a number ofparameters, including the mass of the hypothetical satellite. And they found that an object with a minimum mass of about half that of Earth's moon could tilt Uranus by 90° if it migrated more than 10 times the planet's radius at a rate of more than 6 cm per year.
Although now the planet does not have the right satellitethe size and even the sum of the masses of all available moons is not enough, the researchers believe that at an inclination of about 80 ° the satellite destabilized, causing chaotic changes in the axis of rotation. After the collision of the satellite with Uranus, the orbit was fixed in the current position.
It's not unusual for moons to migratescientists explain. The Earth's Moon, for example, is moving away from the Earth at a rate of about 4 cm per year. Bodies rotating around a common center of gravity act on each other with a tidal force, which gradually slows down their rotation. In turn, this loosens the grip of gravity, so that the distance between two bodies increases.
If the results of the proposed theory are confirmed, then there will be one less mystery in the life of the planet. Previously, Hi-Tech talked about the five strangest facts about Uranus.
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Cover image: ESA/Hubble & NASA, L. Lamy / Observatoire de Paris