Uranus is a fascinating place, composed of gas and ice. It is the 7th planet from the Sun. In terms of size, it is the third-largest planet and fourth-largest in terms of mass. In terms of density, it is the least dense object in our solar system. It is the only planet that took its name from greek rather than Roman mythology.
Facts about Planet Uranus
Here are some facts about Planet Uranus that you might never know.
- Discovery of the planet
The planet was so dull and was first discovered by William Herschel in 1781. The planet is too dim to be seen by ancient civilizations. Herschel himself believed at first that Uranus is a comet, but several years later, it confirmed as a planet.
- Rotation
The Uranus rotates in a retrograde direction, and it takes 17 hours and 14 minutes for one rotation. Just like Venus, Uranus rotates in the opposite direction to the Earth and the other six planets.
- Orbit to the Sun
The planet lies sideways as it orbits, and it takes 84 Earth days to orbit the Sun. Its axis is at 98 degrees. It means the north and south poles of Uranus lies near the equator on the Earth. The planet Uranus gets 42 years of direct sunlight.
- Ice Giant
The planet has an icy mantle, which surrounds an ice and rock core and is known as an ice giant. Like other gas giants, it has hydrogen and helium as the upper layer. This top layer is blue as it is composed of water, methane, and ammonia.
- Collision and Axis Shifting
Scientists believed that an Earth-sized planet collides with Uranus and causes its axis to shift. Its axis is almost tilted 98 degrees. It means that Uranus rotates on its sides. As a consequence, Uranus does not have days and nights like other planets.
- The Coldest Planet
It is the coldest planet in the universe with minimum atmospheric temperature -224° C. It is the coldest planet of the eight planets. Its upper atmosphere is mostly covered with haze and made up of methane.
- Rings
The Uranus has moons named Oberon, Titania, and Miranda. The Origination of the name is from characters created by William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.
