New simulations show that Uranus was once hit by an object that was roughly twice as big as Earth and was likely made of rock and ice.
Does this mean we can scientifically say that Uranus once took a massive pounding? Yes, yes it does.
Scientists were looking into the planet's history because of the unique tilt it has.
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Uranus actually rotates around the Sun on its side, which means each pole faces the Sun for 42 years before it alternates with the other side.
The seventh planet from the Sun, Uranus has the third-largest planetary radius, and scientists believe that around four billion years ago it was hit by a huge object, likely made of rock and ice.
The boffins over at the Astrophysical Journal used 50 different impact scenarios to decide what caused the tilt, eventually settling on the huge rock smashing into Uranus, knocking it askew.
Uranus is four times the size of Earth, meaning it was hit by a rock that was roughly half its size.
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They also think the impact created a bunch of debris which has acted as a thermal shield for Uranus, trapping heat from the planet's exterior and giving it its unusually cold outer atmosphere.
"Uranus spins on its side, with its axis pointing almost at right angles to those of all the other planets in the Solar System," lead author Jacob Kegerreis, PhD researcher at Durham University, said in a statement.
"This was almost certainly caused by a giant impact, but we know very little about how this actually happened and how else such a violent event affected the planet.
"Our findings confirm that the most likely outcome was that the young Uranus was involved in a cataclysmic collision with an object twice the mass of Earth, if not larger, knocking it on to its side and setting in process the events that helped create the planet we see today."
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Uranus' tilt gives it completely unique seasons, with only a very narrow strip around the equator of the planet experiencing a day/night cycle, while the rest either experiences complete light or dark.
It's likely the impact occurred as a grazing blow, knocking Uranus into a tilt, but leaving the majority of its atmosphere in place.
But it is possible that hit did play a role in the formation of the planet's rings and moons and perhaps also impacted the orbit of existing moons.
So not only is Uranus the most hilariously named of all the planets, making it the butt of many jokes (sorry), it's also probably still dealing with some emotional issues after being knocked off-kilter four billion years ago.
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Luckily, in 2033 the planet will have made its third complete orbit around the Sun since being discovered in 1781, so at least it has that to look forward to.
Featured Image Credit: Stocktrek Images, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo
