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Uranus

Reference > Science > The Solar System
 
  • Uranus is the seventh planet out from the sun.
  • It gets its blue color from all the methane gas in its atmosphere. Phew!
  • Like the other gas giants, Uranus also has a system of rings.
  • Uranus rotates on its axis in a manner even stranger than Venus's opposite spin; Uranus rotates at 90 degrees inclination, which means that for part of the year its north pole points directly at the sun, and at another time of year, its south pole points directly at the sun.
  • Even with this strange rotation, Uranus is still hottest at the equator, just like Earth!
  • When Uranus was discovered, scientists calculated its orbit, and discovered that the planet's orbit didn't seem to match the known laws of motion. This surprising discovery led to the eventual discovery of Neptune.

Questions

1.
Why does Uranus appear blue?
2.
Name two ways in which Uranus is like Saturn.
3.
What makes Uranus' rotation unique among the planets?
4.
Which planet was discovered because scientists were studying the orbit of Uranus?
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SaturnSaturn
NeptuneNeptune
 

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