Final answer:
The high inclination of Uranus's rotation may be a result of an impact by a large planetary body during its formation, or due to gravitational interactions that displaced the planet to its current orbit after initially forming closer to the Sun.
Step-by-step explanation:
An impact by a large planetary body while Uranus was forming may have caused the planet to rotate around a highly inclined axis. This unusual tilt creates dramatic seasons, notably the 21-year periods of sunlit summer and darkness experienced in each hemisphere. Astronomical observations and computer simulations suggest that the outer planets, including Uranus, could have formed closer to Jupiter and Saturn before being kicked out to their current orbits due to gravitational interactions with their neighbors. Additionally, Uranus's magnetic field has a significant tilt, which further indicates complex evolutionary dynamics in our solar system that involved shifting orbits and potential collisions.
Calculations have shown that during the formation of planets, if a substantial amount of gas remains in the disk, orbital angular momentum can be transferred to the disk, causing planets to spiral inward. This could facilitate the inward movement of giant planets and also enable the outward movement when they interact with other bodies, which could be the case for Uranus and Neptune being relocated. The motion of Jupiter inward may have also contributed to the altering of orbits, suggesting a complex early history of our solar system where gravitational perturbations played a key role in shaping planetary positions.