Uranus & Neptune: Rocky Worlds, Not Just Ice? New Hope for Space Exploration

• New research suggests Uranus and Neptune may contain large rocky structures, challenging previous beliefs of them being entirely ice planets.
• This discovery raises hopes that these distant planets could be "Earth-like" and potentially useful for future space colonization or as waypoints beyond our solar system.
• Lead author Luca Morf from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, emphasized that too little is known to definitively call them ice planets.
• Analysis of their gravitational fields indicates they could be rocky spheres or water-filled, explaining their peculiar magnetic fields.
• Scientists advocate for dedicated space missions to gather more data, citing Pluto's reclassification from ice to rocky as a precedent.

Why It Matters: New research hints Uranus and Neptune are rocky, not just ice, opening doors for future space exploration.