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Uranus Facts
- Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and the third-largest in the Solar System.
- It is often referred to as an "ice giant," composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, with a small rocky core.
- Uranus has a diameter of about 50,724 km (31,518 miles).
- Its atmosphere contains hydrogen, helium, and methane, which gives Uranus its blue-green color.
- Uranus rotates on its side, with its axis tilted at an angle of 98 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun.
- Due to its extreme axial tilt, Uranus experiences extreme seasonal variations during its 84-year orbit.
- It has a ring system, which was discovered in 1977, consisting of dark narrow rings made of dust particles and small rocks.
- Uranus has 27 known moons, with the largest being Titania, Oberon, Umbriel, Ariel, and Miranda.
- It has a faint and variable ring system, different from the more prominent rings of Saturn.
- Uranus has a magnetic field tilted at an angle of about 60 degrees from its axis of rotation.
- It was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel and was the first planet discovered with a telescope.
- Uranus' temperature can drop to -224°C (-371°F) due to its distance from the Sun.
- Uranus has been visited only once by a spacecraft, Voyager 2, in 1986, providing valuable data about the planet and its moons.
- The planet's rotational period is about 17 hours and 14 minutes.
- Uranus' atmosphere contains traces of water, ammonia, and methane, which gives it its distinctive blue-green hue.
- Future missions may explore Uranus to learn more about its composition, atmosphere, and unique magnetic environment.
- Uranus is visible to the naked eye but appears as a faint blue-green disk due to its distance and dimness.
- Its moons show signs of geological activity, including cryovolcanism and surface features shaped by impacts and tidal forces.