Search results
Learn about Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun, with a tilted axis, rings, moons and a cold atmosphere. Find out how it was discovered, named, and explored by Voyager 2.
Introduction. Uranus is a very cold and windy world. The ice giant is surrounded by 13 faint rings and 28 small moons. Uranus rotates at a nearly 90-degree angle from the plane of its orbit. This unique tilt makes Uranus appear to spin sideways, orbiting the Sun like a rolling ball. Uranus was the first planet found with the aid of a telescope.
It is a gaseous cyan -coloured ice giant. Most of the planet is made of water, ammonia, and methane in a supercritical phase of matter, astronomy calls "ice" or volatiles. The planet's atmosphere has a complex layered cloud structure and has the lowest minimum temperature of 49 K (−224 °C; −371 °F) out of all the Solar System 's planets.
Planet Uranus Overview. Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, and it's the third largest planet in our solar system – about four times wider than Earth. The diameter at its equator is 31,763 miles (51,120 kilometers). Uranus is a very cold and windy planet.
- Structure and Surface
- Time on Uranus
- Uranus' Neighbors
- Quick History
- What Does Uranus Look like?
Uranus is surrounded by a set of 13 rings.Uranus is an ice giant (instead of a gas giant). It is mostly made of flowing icy materials above a solid core.Uranus has a thick atmosphere made of methane, hydrogen, and helium.Uranus is the only planet that spins on its side.One day on Uranus lasts a little over 17 hours (17 hours and 14 minutes, to be exact).One year on Uranus is the same as 84 years on Earth. That’s a long time to wait for a birthday cake.Uranus has 28 known moons.Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. That means Saturn and Neptune are Uranus’ neighboring planets.Uranus was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel in Great Britain.Uranus has only been visited by Voyager 2.This picture shows Uranus surrounded by its four major rings and by 10 of its moons. This image has colors added to show the different altitudes and thicknesses of clouds in the atmosphere. Green and blue areas show where the atmosphere is clear and sunlight can get through. The yellow and grey parts have thicker clouds. Orange and red colors mean ...
Jun 1, 2024 · Uranus, seventh planet in distance from the Sun and the least massive of the solar system’s four giant, or Jovian, planets. Uranus has more than two dozen moons, five of which (Umbriel, Miranda, Ariel, Titania, and Oberon) are relatively large, and a system of narrow rings.
The seventh planet from the Sun with the third largest diameter in our solar system, Uranus is very cold and windy. The ice giant is surrounded by 13 faint rings and 27 small moons as it rotates at a nearly 90-degree angle from the plane of its orbit.
