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- Yamila Miguel of the Netherlands Institute for Space Research reported that Uranus and Neptune have outer shells of rocks, hydrogen and helium.
- Her team’s models of the planets’ envelopes, mantles and cores indicated that silicate clouds can condense into rocky material, challenging the “ice giant” label.
- Miguel suggested the new classification “minor giants” to reflect the rockier composition, noting that the study raises questions about outer-planet makeup.
