Eli5 If uranus is a gas giant with just a rocky core, how did it get hit by a celestial body that caused it to tilt so much?

Question

Wouldn’t the body have slowed down while passing through is thick atmosphere before reaching the core, thereby not affecting the planet’s tilt?

In: 12

Answer 1

> Wouldn’t the body have slowed down while passing through is thick atmosphere

That is also momentum transfer, you know. It’s just less sudden that solid hitting solid. Drop an ice cube into a large cup of water, stir it around without touching the ice in the middle. The cube will also start rotating when you get the water moving, right?