Uranus

Introduction

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It is the third-largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter and Saturn. Uranus is similar in composition to Neptune, and both have different bulk chemical composition from the larger gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. For this reason, astronomers sometimes place them in a separate category called “ice giants”. Uranus’s atmosphere is similar to Jupiter’s and Saturn’s in that it is composed of hydrogen and helium, with a small amount of methane. The interior of Uranus is mainly composed of ice and rock.

Uranus is the coldest planet in the Solar System, with an average temperature of -216 degrees Celsius. Its atmosphere is also the fainter of the four gas giants, meaning that it reflects less light back into space. Uranus was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel, and was the first planet to be discovered by telescope. It was originally thought to be a star, but its planet-like features were soon apparent.

Distance from sun

It is about 2.8 billion km from the Sun.

Year length

A year on Uranus takes about 84 Earth years.

Day length

A day on Uranus takes about 17 Earth hours.

Fun fact

Uranus is an interesting planet because it is often referred to as an “ice giant”. This is because it is mostly made up of water, ammonia, and methane.
It is also interesting because it has the coldest temperatures of any planet in our solar system. In fact, the average temperature on Uranus is -224 degrees Celsius!

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