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Previously, Uranus and Neptune were considered ice giants because of assumed thick layers of frozen water, methane, and ammonia. New calculations paint a different picture: deep inside them hides an ocean of hot magma, which under immense pressure has absorbed a colossal amount of hydrogen. This ocean is like superheated soda pop — only instead of syrupy soda, you have molten rock, and instead of carbon dioxide fizz, it's light hydrogen, making the whole mixture less dense.

This model neatly explains the planets' size, mass, heat, and even the composition of their atmospheres, where clouds of hydrogen and helium float. Now it's clear that these planets are the closest cousins of the many worlds discovered around other stars. And the most unexpected fact: inside this magmatic ocean, hydrogen is compressed so intensely that it turns into a metallic liquid — an excellent conductor of electricity. That's probably what produces the bizarre magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune, unlike Earth's.