Uranus has a powerful magnetic field. The axis of the field is tilted 59 from the planet's axis of rotation. The magnetic field encloses high-energy, electrically charged particlesmostly electrons and protonsin radiation belts around the planet. These particles emit radio waves as they travel back and forth between the magnetic poles. Voyager 2 detected these waves, but they are too weak to be detected on Earth.
It wasn't so long ago that astronomers thought the universe contained normal matter, or baryonic matter, the base unit of which is the atom. But when it comes to the cosmos, there's always more than meets the eye. What else is hanging out in space?
As doomsday theorists look to the sky for signs of a 2012 apocalypse, some believe the planets will align in a way that will spell catastrophe to life on our tiny home turf. Are their observations backed up with sound science?
