Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, known for its unique sideways rotation, causing it to roll along its orbital path. It’s an ice giant with a pale blue-green hue, a ring system, and numerous moons, including Titania and Oberon.
Voyager 2 conducted a close flyby in 1986, revealing its distinctive features and confirming its composition of hydrogen and helium with traces of methane. Uranus remains a fascinating subject of planetary study.
- Gaseous Ice Giant: Uranus is a gas giant with icy components.
- Unique Tilt: Rotates nearly perpendicular to its orbit around the Sun.
- Extreme Cold: One of the coldest planets with temperatures around -224°C (-371°F).
- Ring System: Has a faint and narrow ring system.
- Magnetic Field: Magnetic axis is tilted, unlike most planets.
- Retrograde Rotation: Rotates clockwise, opposite to most planets.
- Few Moons: Possesses 27 known moons, including Titania and Oberon.
- Low Density: The lowest density of all gas giants.
- Uranian Rings: Named after astronomers and discovered in 1977.
- Limited Exploration: Only visited once by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986.
