A key committee of experts wants NASA to prioritize Uranus for its big planetary research mission soon. But what distinguishes this blue giant from other planets?
Here are some fascinating Uranus facts.
Neptune as seen from Voyager 2 from 4.4 million miles
What Exactly is Uranus?
Uranus is the third biggest planet in the solar system next to Jupiter and Saturn. The planet is popular for its beautiful blue color caused by methane in its atmosphere, which absorbs the Sun's red wavelengths. The visible blue light reflects giving the ice giant its distinctive tint.
It is also thought to have liquid water underneath its top atmosphere. When the Voyager probe sailed past the planet in 1986, it didn't appear to be much on the surface until the probe discovered evidence that the coldest planet in the solar system contains boiling oceans 500 miles below the outer atmosphere.
Unfortunately, its name has become the punchline for various jokes, but that shouldn't deter you from studying this magnificent ice monster.
What Is It About This Slushy Blue Planet That Is So Interesting?
The solar system's seventh planet, Uranus, is one of the most unusual gas giants ever discovered. There are a few other reasons why experts are interested in learning more about the planet.
1. Uranus Was Almost Named "George" 70 Years Ago
Since antiquity, all inner planets have been known since they are easily visible in the night sky. But Radio New Zealand said experts first "found" Uranus. Astronomers first mistook it for a comet or a star.
Our seventh planet, Georgian Sidus, or George's Star, would have been named after William Herschel's patron King George III if he had his way in 1781.
Astronomers discovered Uranus seventy years later.
Although many people pronounce the planet Ur-Anus, astronomers prefer Uran-us.
2. Uranus Has An Extreme Weather
Revolutionized said Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system, despite being closer to the Sun than Neptune or Pluto. The average temperature is -197 C. However, temperatures as low as -224 or -371.2F have been recorded on the blue planet.
ALSO READ: Planet Neptune: Will the 'Ice Giant' Be NASA's Next Mission?
Excessive weather is a result of the planet's extreme tilt. Looking at the photographs acquired by the Voyager 2 spacecraft, you wouldn't know that.
We've seen some of this weather through the lenses of the Keck Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope in the 36 years since Voyager.
According to these telescopes, massive storms are triggered when places that haven't been heated in 42 years warm-up when the seasons change.
However, all of our existing telescopes, including the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, are restricted in their capabilities.
3. Watery Moons
Unlike other planets, Uranus' 27 moons are named after works by William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope rather than characters from Greek mythology.
Like Uranus, Voyager only provided us a few glimpses of these little worlds with names like Ophelia, Cordelia, Bianca, and Belinda.
Because Uranus is slanted on its side. It enters a nearly polar orbit, which is inconvenient for reaching all satellites orbiting at the equator.
Nonetheless, ABC News assumed that some of them are - or were - water planets.
4. Uranus Orbits On Its Side
Universe Today said the planets in the Solar System all revolve on their axes at a similar angle to the Sun. Planets often have an axial tilt, which means one of their poles is angled slightly toward the Sun.
The Earth's axis of rotation, for example, is inclined 23.5 degrees away from the Sun's plane. Mars is comparable to Earth in that it has a tilt of roughly 24 degrees, resulting in seasonal variations on both worlds.
On the other hand, Uranus has an axial tilt of 99 degrees! To put it another way, the Earth is spinning on its side. As they orbit the Sun, all planets resemble a spinning top. Still, Uranus resembles a ball rolling in a circular pattern.
RELATED ARTICLE: Scientists Explain Why Ice Giants Uranus and Neptune Have Different Shades of Blue
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