Uranus
Uranus is a big, icy blue planet that rolls around the Sun on its side. It looks very different from most other planets because it tilts like a fallen bowling ball.
Weather and air
Uranus has very cold air and strong winds, and its atmosphere is made mostly of hydrogen, helium, and methane which gives it a blue color. There is no breathable air for people.
A few interesting things
- Uranus spins on its side with its axis almost lying in its orbit.
- Its blue-green color comes from methane gas in the atmosphere.
- Seasons on Uranus last about 20 Earth years because it takes 84 Earth years to orbit the Sun.
- It has faint rings, but they are much darker and harder to see than Saturn’s.
- Uranus is very cold—one of the coldest planets in our solar system.
- A day on Uranus is about 17 hours long, even though a year is 84 Earth years.
Moons
Uranus has 27 moons. Here are three of the moons.
A few details
- Diameter: 50,724 km
- Type: ice giant
- Distance from sun: 2.9 billion km
- Day length: 17 hours
- Year length: 30,688 days