Uranus

Seventh planet from the Sun; visible from Earth with the naked eye in good conditions, appears as small, featureless greenish-blue disk through a standard telescope.

DATA

Diameter: 51,118km (31,765miles)

Mass: (Earth=1) 14.6

Volume: (Earth=1) 67

Density: (water=1) 1.27

Orbital Period: 84.01 Earth years

Rotation Period: 17 Earth hours, 14 mins, 0 seconds

Av. Surface Temp: -214°C (-417°F)

The Planet Uranus

Uranus possesses a ring system and a host of satellites; its axis of rotation is steeply inclined with its poles spending 42 Earth years in sunlight, then 42 years in darkness – this causes highly exaggerated seasonal variations for both the planet and its satellites. Most of Earth’s knowledge of the planet was gathered when the Voyager 2 probe passed by in 1986. The upper atmosphere is about 83% molecular hydrogen, 15 % helium, with the rest being mostly methane. The five larger satellites were known by Earth scientists before the Voyager 2 visit, which turned up ten more. All fifteen moons are standard satellites, orbiting in or close to Uranus’ equatorial plane.