Scientists from the University of Houston have discovered that Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun, produces heat from inside itself. Earlier, experts thought the planet was cold and had no internal heat.

Led by Dr. Xinyue Wang, the study  found that Uranus gives off about 12.5% more heat than it gets from the Sun, which is nearly 1.8 billion miles away. This new discovery challenges old data from NASA’s Voyager 2 mission in 1986, which showed Uranus as very cold and inactive.

Dr. Wang explained that Uranus is still slowly releasing leftover heat from when it first formed. This helps scientists understand more about the planet’s history and how it has changed over time. Still, Uranus gives off less heat than other gas giants like Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, which emit up to 100% more heat than they receive.

She also said this finding makes a strong case for sending a new space mission to study Uranus more closely. The long seasons on Uranus, each lasting over 20 years, also play a role in how heat is released. Scientists believe a solar event during Voyager 2’s visit may have caused earlier readings to be inaccurate.

Uranus’ moon Miranda is also getting attention because it might be able to support alien life. New research from Johns Hopkins University and the University of North Dakota suggests that Miranda could have underground water, a key sign that life might exist and a reason to explore it more in the future.

Liming Li, a physics professor at the University of Houston, said this research could help plan NASA’s upcoming mission to Uranus. This mission has been named the top space priority for the decade 2023–2032 by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. “By learning how Uranus holds and loses heat, we understand more about how planets work, their atmospheres, weather, and climates,” said Li. “It also helps us understand our own planet and the climate challenges we face.”