Uranus: The Sideways Planet

Uranus is a cold, blue planet with rings and a strange tilt.

Uranus in space

Introduction

Uranus is a big, icy, gaseous planet. It's special because it spins on its side – like a ball rolling around the Sun! It has 13 rings and 28 moons, and strong, fast winds.

Name

Uranus is named after the Greek god of the sky. It was found as the first planet with a telescope in 1781.

Size and Distance

• 4 times larger than Earth

• Very far from the Sun – 2 hours and 40 minutes light takes to reach it.

Uranus inner structure

Day and Year

• Day: 17 hours

• Year: 84 Earth years

• Because it spins on its side, each pole gets 21 years of sunlight, then 21 years of darkness!

Moons

Uranus has 28 moons, which are named after characters in Shakespeare and Pope's tales.

Rings

Uranus has 13 rings. Most are dark and thin, but some are red or blue. They are made of dust and ice.

Can Anything Live There?

No – Uranus is too cold and stormy for life. Some moons might have hidden water under the surface, but we’re not sure.

Atmosphere

• Made of gases: hydrogen, helium, methane

• Methane makes it look blue-green.

• Has fast winds and is even colder than Neptune sometimes!

Magnetosphere

Uranus has an unusual magnetic field – it's tilted and off-center. It creates wacky auroras, or light shows, near its poles

Explore More

Learn more about Uranus here

Summary

Uranus is a large, icy gas planet that spins on its side. It has 13 rings, 28 moons, and very fast winds.

• Discovered in 1781; named after the Greek sky god

• 4× bigger than Earth, and very far from the Sun

• Day: 17 hours | Year: 84 Earth years

• Its sideways spin causes 21 years of daylight or darkness at each pole

• Moons are named after story characters; some may have hidden water

• Rings are dark and thin, made of dust and ice

• Atmosphere: hydrogen, helium, and methane (gives blue-green color)

• Too cold and stormy for life

• Magnetic field is tilted and off-center, causing strange auroras