Uranus was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel (1738-1822) an English Astronomer. The name was chosen in keeping with the tradition of naming planets for the gods of mythology. Uranus was the father of the Titans and the grandfather of Jupiter. Uranus and Neptune are similar in size. The internal structure of Uranus is a relatively large rocky core, about 13,000 km in diameter (25% of the planet's mass) composed of iron and silicon. This is surrounded by a mantle 8,000 km (65% of its mass) deep composed of water, ammonia, and methane ice. The outer layer is the atmosphere which is 11,000 km thick made of molecular hydrogen (84%), helium (14%) and a small percentage of methane.
Uranus has a very thin ring system, nine of which are considered major. They are composed of boulder sized rocks, one meter or larger with a few dust sized particles. Its period of rotation is 17.24 hours. It has a magnetic field 50 times stronger than Earth. Its five moons are named Miranda (smallest and closest), Ariel, Umbriel, Titania (the largest), and Oberon (the most distant)
Interesting facts about Uranus:
1. Its rotation axis is inclined 82 degrees with respect to its orbital axis. Thus the Sun is at the poles as Uranus revolves, and the planet rolls along.
2. Its rotation is retrograde. That is it rotates East to West unlike other planes which rotate West to East Venus is the only other planet to rotate in this manner.
3. Its magnetic axis is tipped 60 degrees to the orbital axis.
4. The planet radiates more energy than it receives from the Sun. The cause is unknown.
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Details of Uranus
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