The mysteriously tilted planet of Uranus is one of the 4 gas giants, or planets whose gas composes the majority of its mass. The planet Uranus is the seventh from the sun. Its 51,117km diameter classifies it as the third largest planet in the solar system. By mass, Uranus is the fourth largest.
Despite not being certain how the planet Uranus inherited its 98° axial tilt; we are able to study the effects of this uneven heating. Hypotheses suggest this unique aspect is due to a major collision during formation.
John Flamsteed first recorded the planet in 1690, but believed it was a star. Almost 100 years later in 1781, Sir William Hershel made the formal discovery. Although originally mistaking it for a comet, Hershel quickly corrected his error and established Uranus as a planet. After much debate about what to call it, Uranus was named after the Greek god of the sky.
Although there are no current plans to physically explore Uranus, the planet was visited in 1986 by the NASA spacecraft, Voyager 2. The surface composed of rock and ice is surrounded by an atmosphere of hydrogen, helium and methane. Uranus’ average temperature is -218°C, or -360° F. So far thirteen rings surrounding Uranus have been found. The planet Uranus has 27 moons, each named after Shakespearean characters.
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