Voyager 2's 1986 flyby of Uranus, the main source of our knowledge of the icy planet, could have come at the same time as a weird plasma burst from the sun.

For decades, the observation has been an enigma. But not anymore. Recent analysis of Voyager's old data found that extreme solar wind — a flow of particles shooting out from the sun — impacted the environs around Uranus and created the abnormal episode.

Much of what we understand about Uranus comes from data gathered by NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft. Thirty-eight years ago, this probe flew by the ice giant, providing humanity with its first close-up glimpse of the seventh planet from the sun.