Uranus and Neptune have relatively similar size, composition and location, so researchers suspect the two planets have somewhat similar formation histories as well. Uranus and Neptune also both have off-kilter magnetic fields, which distinguishes them from the bigger gas giants, Saturn and Jupiter. Specifically, if you were to overlay a magnet on those planets, the magnet would not line up with the center.
“We have no idea how you even do that,” Simon said.
Because magnetic fields are created by moving currents, it is believed that all planets with magnetic fields, including Earth, have conductive material moving in their centers. But because Neptune’s magnetic field is tilted at 47 degrees to the planet’s rotation, it’s clear that rotation and magnetism are not inherently aligned.
“Neptune’s magnetosphere undergoes wild variations during each rotation because of this misalignment,” NASA wrote on a page about Neptune .
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