Uranus is Named After the Greek God of the Sky


No doubt the root of some ‘potty humor’, Uranus is pronounced two different ways, Yoor un us or Your Anus. This planet has many interesting and unique features compared to its neighboring planets.

Uranus was created about 4.5 billion years ago; it first formed near the Sun and then drifted into the outer part of the solar system. It is now the seventh planet from the Sun and has a radius of 16,000 miles - about four times wider than Earth. If Earth were a nickel, Uranus would be the size of a softball. A Uranian day lasts about 17 hours, while a Uranian year lasts 84 Earth days. The approximate 100 degree tilt of Uranus causes it to face winters on the planet that last up to 21 Uranian years long.

This planet is composed of icy fluids, water, methane, and ammonia. Uranus has a blue-green color, which is caused by the methane gases in it atmosphere. Uranus does not have a solid surface.

On March 13, 1781, British astronomer William Herschel discovered what is now named Uranus. At first, he thought it was a star or a comet and he unsuccessfully named it “Georgium Sidus” after King George III. Two years later, astronomer Johann Bode determined it was actually a planet and officially named it “Uranus,” after the Greek god of the sky.

There are 27 moons related to Uranus and 13 rings surrounding it. These moons include Titania, Oberon, Ariel, and Umbriel, which are names after Shakespeare’s works. In 1986, Voyager 2 NASA spacecraft, captured information about Uranus and its moons. As a result of this mission, scientists discovered 10 new moons and two new rings. In December 22, 2005, researchers discovered two additional moons with the Hubble space telescope.

Overall, Uranus is a planet with impressive differences in comparison to the other planets in our solar system.

[Source: nasa.gov ]

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