Uranus: Neptune's twin

Uranus is one of the smaller gas giants in our solar system, but it is still large enough to hold 64 planets the size of Earth.

Uranus tilts over so far on its axis that it rotates on its side. Because of this, its poles are sometimes pointed almost directly at the Sun. Uranus' atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium, and methane. The temperature in the upper atmosphere is very cold. The cold methane gas is what gives Uranus its blue-green color. The rapid rotation of Uranus causes winds up to 600 kilometers per hour to blow in its atmosphere. Uranus has eleven known rings which contain dark, boulder-sized particles. Uranus has at least 21 moons. Some of these moons are less than 100 kilometers wide and black as coal. Other moons may have been found. Scientists are trying to confirm their discovery.

Guess what? Uranus is a large, plain, blue-green planet which can only be seen from the Earth with the unaided eye on a clear, dark night.

Uranus is unique in our solar system because it is tilted 98 degrees. When viewed from Earth, it appears to rotate on its side! At different times throughout its orbit, we can actually view one of the planet's poles head-on. The atmosphere is composed of hydrogen, helium, and methane. The temperature in the upper atmosphere is so cold that the methane condenses and forms a thin cloud layer which gives the planet its blue-green appearance. The winds on Uranus blow mainly to the east and can reach speeds up to 600 kilometers per hour. The rapid spin of Uranus influences the winds in the atmosphere. Uranus has a very strong magnetic field. This planet has a system of rings which was not discovered until 1977. The ring system contains eleven dark rings composed of varying sized particles. Satellites embedded in the rings create gaps between the rings. Uranus has 21 known natural satellites (and may have at least 27), both within the rings and outside of the rings.

Uranus