What is the Planet Uranus? | Types, Definition, Structure, Function & Facts
What is Planet Uranus?
Uranus is the 7th planet from the Sun. It is more than twice as far away from the Sun as Saturn. Uranus is an ice giant like its sister planet Neptune. Although it has a gaseous surface, like the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, much of the planet’s interior is made up of frozen elements. As a result, Uranus has the coldest atmosphere of any planet in the solar system.
The surface of Uranus is composed mainly of hydrogen gas with some helium. The atmosphere makes up about 25% of the planet. This atmosphere is stormy, but not stormy or active like Saturn or Jupiter. As a result, the surface of Uranus is quite flat and homogeneous.
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Highlights of Planet Uranus:
| Moons | 27 (and growing) |
| Mass | 14.5 times the mass of Earth |
| Diameter | 31,763 miles (51,118 km) |
| Year | 83.8 Earth years |
| Day | 17.2 hours |
| Average Temperature | minus 320°F (-195°C) |
| Distance from the Sun | 7th planet from the sun, 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion km) |
| Type of Planet | Ice Giant (gas surface with an interior composed of ices and rock) |
Strange Rotation
One of the most unique features of Uranus is that it rotates horizontally. If you imagine the Sun and the planets of the solar system lying on a table, the other planets will spin or spin like a gyroscope. On the other hand, Uranus will roll like a marble. Most scientists agree that Uranus’s strange rotation is caused by another large planetary object that collided with the planet with enough force to change its tilt.
How does Uranus compare to Earth?
Uranus is very different from Earth. It is a gas giant, which means its surface is gaseous, so you can’t even stand on it. Located very, very far from the Sun, Uranus is much, much cooler than Earth. In addition, Uranus’s strange rotation relative to the Sun causes it to have very different seasons. The Sun will shine over parts of Uranus for 42 years, then it will be dark for 42 years.
How do we know about Uranus?
Uranus was first called a planet by British astronomer William Herschel. Herschel discovered Uranus with a telescope. Before Herschel, Uranus was considered a star. Since then, the only space probe sent to Uranus was Voyager 2 in 1986. Travel 2 has brought us detailed images of Uranus, its moons and rings.
Interesting Facts about the Planet Uranus
Uranus is the only planet named after a Greek god and not a Roman god. Uranus was the Greek god of the sky and was married to Mother Earth.
It has a vibrant blue color that comes from the methane in its atmosphere.
Uranus can be seen with the naked eye.
Uranus has rings like Saturn, but they are thin and dark.
It was the first planet discovered in the modern era by telescopes.
Uranus is the third largest planet in the solar system.