What are 5 interesting facts about Uranus?
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. Uranus spins the opposite direction as Earth and most other planets.
How did Uranus’moons get their names?
While most of the satellites orbiting other planets take their names from various mythologies, Uranus’ moons are unique in being named for Shakespearean characters, along with a couple of the moons being named for characters from the works of Alexander Pope. More ›
How many moons does Uranus have?
Uranus’ Neighbors Uranus has 27 known moons. Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. That means Saturn and Neptune are Uranus’ neighboring planets.
Did you know Uranus was once called the Georgian Planet?
These included Hypercronius (which means ‘above Saturn’) and even the dreadful Georgium Sidus (meaning ‘The Georgian Planet’) with which Herschel wanted to flatter the then-King of England George III. Thankfully Herschel’s sycophantic attempts to name Uranus was not popular, or we wouldn’t have ‘your-anus’ in our midst anymore!
What are the characteristics of Uranus’s rings?
The inner rings are narrow and dark. The outer rings are brightly colored and easier to see. Like Venus, Uranus rotates in the opposite direction as most other planets. And unlike any other planet, Uranus rotates on its side. Uranus is surrounded by a set of 13 rings. Uranus is an ice giant (instead of a gas giant).
What is Uranus’s atmosphere like?
In fact, Uranus has a thick, smoggy atmosphere that becomes denser the deeper you go. For example, if you were to fall off your spacecraft over Uranus, you’d probably find yourself half-falling and half-swimming through the planet’s atmosphere. In the heart of the icy smog of the planet is rock that is about the size of the earth.
Is Uranus a gas or an ice giant?
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.
Is Uranus a gas or an ice planet?
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.
How was Uranus discovered?
Loading… Loading… Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, and has the third-largest diameter in our solar system. It was the first planet found with the aid of a telescope, Uranus was discovered in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel, although he originally thought it was either a comet or a star.