Introduction
Uranus is named after the Greek father of the gods, but many questions whether it deserves such a grand title.
This is because Uranus is thought by many to be the blandest planet in the solar system. However, Uranus has many interesting features of its own. It rolls around the sun like a barrel, and its weather, although it can't be seen by naked eye, is highly active.
The barrel planet
Uranus is tipped on its side and is the only planet to roll around the sun like a barrel instead of spinning upright. Its 11 faint, black rings and 17 moons spin around it like a ferris wheel. It is thought that this is because an object the size of Earth collided with Uranus billions of years ago. The incredible force of the impact knocked the planet onto its side. This means that each pole has 21 years of continual sunlight, then is plunged into 21 years of perpetual night.
Hidden weather
Uranus is often unfairly labelled the most boring planet in the solar system. A thick layer of methane in the upper clouds absorbs red light, giving the planet its uniform aquamarine colour. There is little evidence on Uranus bland face of much activity. Viewed normally, the planet has the complexion of a snooker ball. However, the Voyager space probe's infrared pictures of the planet showed it to have bands of weather activity just like the planets Jupiter and Saturn.
Chaotic faces
Uranus itself may be devoid of surface features, but its moons carry a fascinating portrait of a violent past. The bizarre alien landscapes of many of Uranus moons are thought to have been created by water. Scientists believe that as liquid water rose from the hot interior of the moons, it froze and expanded. This caused the crust to buckle outwards. Miranda has the most chaotic surface of any moon. Some parts of her core are now on her surface, and some parts of her crust have been buried. This is most likely to be because the moon has at one time been pulled apart and has gradually reformed.
Some important facts
1) The infrared image above shows bands of violent weather activity on the cloud surface of Uranus.
2) Uranus has very faint, black rings that were discovered by chance in 1977. Astronomers saw that Uranus moved through the sky, the light from stars behind it twinkled. Scientists realized that the planet's rings were causing this to happen.
3) Some scientists believe that planets get their rings when a moon is pulled apart by conflicting gravitational forces. The moon will be pulled one way by its orbit and the opposite way by its parent planet, causing it to split and crumble.
Facts and figures
Diameter: 51,16km
Distance from sun : 2.869 million km
Surface temperature : -195oC (-319oF)
Surface gravity : 0.89 x Earth
Length of orbit : 30,065 Earth days
Length of day : 18 Earth hours
Mass : 14.5 x Earth
Density(water=1) : 1.27
Number of moons : 17
Number of rings : 11
Uranus is named after the Greek father of the gods, but many questions whether it deserves such a grand title.
This is because Uranus is thought by many to be the blandest planet in the solar system. However, Uranus has many interesting features of its own. It rolls around the sun like a barrel, and its weather, although it can't be seen by naked eye, is highly active.
The barrel planet
Uranus is tipped on its side and is the only planet to roll around the sun like a barrel instead of spinning upright. Its 11 faint, black rings and 17 moons spin around it like a ferris wheel. It is thought that this is because an object the size of Earth collided with Uranus billions of years ago. The incredible force of the impact knocked the planet onto its side. This means that each pole has 21 years of continual sunlight, then is plunged into 21 years of perpetual night.
Hidden weather
Uranus is often unfairly labelled the most boring planet in the solar system. A thick layer of methane in the upper clouds absorbs red light, giving the planet its uniform aquamarine colour. There is little evidence on Uranus bland face of much activity. Viewed normally, the planet has the complexion of a snooker ball. However, the Voyager space probe's infrared pictures of the planet showed it to have bands of weather activity just like the planets Jupiter and Saturn.
Chaotic faces
Uranus itself may be devoid of surface features, but its moons carry a fascinating portrait of a violent past. The bizarre alien landscapes of many of Uranus moons are thought to have been created by water. Scientists believe that as liquid water rose from the hot interior of the moons, it froze and expanded. This caused the crust to buckle outwards. Miranda has the most chaotic surface of any moon. Some parts of her core are now on her surface, and some parts of her crust have been buried. This is most likely to be because the moon has at one time been pulled apart and has gradually reformed.
Some important facts
1) The infrared image above shows bands of violent weather activity on the cloud surface of Uranus.
2) Uranus has very faint, black rings that were discovered by chance in 1977. Astronomers saw that Uranus moved through the sky, the light from stars behind it twinkled. Scientists realized that the planet's rings were causing this to happen.
3) Some scientists believe that planets get their rings when a moon is pulled apart by conflicting gravitational forces. The moon will be pulled one way by its orbit and the opposite way by its parent planet, causing it to split and crumble.
Facts and figures
Diameter: 51,16km
Distance from sun : 2.869 million km
Surface temperature : -195oC (-319oF)
Surface gravity : 0.89 x Earth
Length of orbit : 30,065 Earth days
Length of day : 18 Earth hours
Mass : 14.5 x Earth
Density(water=1) : 1.27
Number of moons : 17
Number of rings : 11
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