# Argon on Uranus and Neptune may reveal more about their origins than their interiors

Source: [Space News - Space, Astronomy, Space Exploration](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-argon-uranus-neptune-reveal-interiors.html) · 2026-11-11 · Space
Page: https://themorning.science/story/argon-on-uranus-and-neptune-may-reveal-more-about-their-origins-than-their-inter-d1b78b4d5b0f90ab
Kind: research · Impact: low

## In brief

- New research led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and published in The Planetary Science Journal focuses on measurements of an argon isotope.
- The measurements could help determine whether the interiors of Uranus and Neptune are dominated by ice or rock.
- According to the source, the argon measurements may reveal more about the ice giants' origins than about their interiors.

## Why it matters

Uranus and Neptune are the solar system's ice giants, and their formation history is poorly constrained. A tracer that links their composition to their origins would help planetary scientists test formation models.

## Coverage

- [Argon on Uranus and Neptune may reveal more about their origins than their interiors](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-argon-uranus-neptune-reveal-interiors.html) — Space News - Space, Astronomy, Space Exploration, 2026-11-11

Tags: ice giants, uranus, neptune, argon, planetary science, solar system

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science