Uranus

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It is a

Uranus
gaseous cyan-coloured ice giant. Most of the planet is
made of water, ammonia, and methane in a
supercritical phase of matter, which astronomy calls
"ice" or volatiles. The planet's atmosphere has a
complex layered cloud structure and has the lowest
minimum temperature (49 K (−224 °C; −371 °F)) of
all the Solar System's planets. It has a marked axial tilt
of 82.23° with a retrograde rotation period of 17 hours
and 14 minutes. This means that in an 84-Earth-year
orbital period around the Sun, its poles get around 42
years of continuous sunlight, followed by 42 years of
continuous darkness.

Uranus has the third-largest diameter and fourth-largest

mass among the Solar System's planets. Based on
current models, inside its volatile mantle layer is a Uranus in true colour,[a] as captured by
rocky core, and surrounding it is a thick hydrogen and Voyager 2. Its pale, muted appearance is due
helium atmosphere. Trace amounts of hydrocarbons to a shroud of haze above its clouds
(thought to be produced via hydrolysis) and carbon Discovery
monoxide along with carbon dioxide (thought to have Discovered by William Herschel
been originated from comets) have been detected in the
Discovery date 13 March 1781
upper atmosphere. There are many unexplained
climate phenomena in Uranus's atmosphere, such as its Designations
ⓘ[1]
peak wind speed of 900 km/h (560 mph),[23] variations Pronunciation /ˈjʊərənəs/ or
/jʊˈreɪnəs/ ⓘ[2]
in its polar cap, and its erratic cloud formation. The
planet also has very low internal heat compared to Named after the Latin form Ūranus of the
other giant planets, the cause of which remains unclear. Greek god Οὐρανός
Ouranos
Like the other giant planets, Uranus has a ring system,
Adjectives Uranian (/jʊˈreɪniən/)[3]
a magnetosphere, and many natural satellites. The
extremely dark ring system reflects only about 2% of Symbol ,
the incoming light. Uranus's 28 natural satellites Orbital characteristics[4][b]
include 18 known regular moons, of which 13 are
Epoch J2000
small inner moons. Further out are the larger five
Aphelion 20.0965 AU
major moons of the planet: Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel,
(3.006 39 billion km)
Titania, and Oberon. Orbiting at a much greater
distance from Uranus are the ten known irregular Perihelion 18.2861 AU
moons. The planet's magnetosphere is highly (2.735 56 billion km)
Semi-major axis 19.191 26 AU
(2.870 972 billion km)
asymmetric and has many charged particles, which Eccentricity 0.047 17
may be the cause of the darkening of its rings and Orbital period 84.0205 yr
moons. (sidereal)
30,688.5 d[5]
Uranus is visible to the naked eye, but it is very dim 42,718 Uranian solar days[6]
and was not classified as a planet until 1781, when it Orbital period 369.66 days[7]
was first observed by William Herschel. About seven (synodic)
decades after its discovery, consensus was reached that Average orbital 6.80 km/s[7]
the planet be named after the Greek god Uranus speed
(Ouranos), one of the Greek primordial deities. As of Mean anomaly 142.238 600°
2024, it had been visited up close only once when in
Inclination 0.773° to ecliptic
1986 the Voyager 2 probe flew by the planet.[24]
Though nowadays it can be resolved and observed by 6.48° to Sun's equator
telescopes, there is much desire to revisit the planet, as 0.99° to invariable plane[8]
shown by Planetary Science Decadal Survey's decision Longitude of 74.006°
to make the proposed Uranus Orbiter and Probe ascending node
mission a top priority in the 2023–2032 survey, and the Time of 17–19 August 2050[9][10]
CNSA's proposal to fly by the planet with a subprobe perihelion
of Tianwen-4.[25] Argument of 96.998 857°
perihelion
Known 28
History satellites
Physical characteristics
Like the classical planets, Uranus is visible to the
Mean radius 25,362 ± 7 km[11][c]
naked eye, but it was never recognised as a planet by
ancient observers because of its dimness and slow Equatorial 25,559 ± 4 km
radius 4.007 Earths[11][c]
orbit.[26] William Herschel first observed Uranus on 13
March 1781, leading to its discovery as a planet, Polar radius 24,973 ± 20 km
expanding the known boundaries of the Solar System 3.929 Earths[11][c]
for the first time in history and making Uranus the first Flattening 0.0229 ± 0.0008[d]
planet classified as such with the aid of a telescope.
Circumference 159,354.1 km[5]
The discovery of Uranus also effectively doubled the
size of the known Solar System because Uranus is Surface area 8.1156 × 109 km2[5][c]
around twice the distance from the Sun as the planet 15.91 Earths
Saturn. Volume 6.833 × 1013 km3[7][c]
63.086 Earths
Mass (8.6810 ± 0.0013) × 1025 kg
Discovery
14.536 Earths[12]
Before its recognition as a planet, Uranus had been GM=5,793,939 ± 13 km3/s2
observed on numerous occasions, albeit generally
Mean density 1.27 g/cm3[7][e]
misidentified as a star. The earliest possible known
observation was by Hipparchus, who in 128 BC might Surface gravity 8.69 m/s2 (0.886 g0)[7][c]
have recorded it as a star for his star catalogue that was Moment of 0.23[13] (estimate)
inertia factor
later incorporated into Ptolemy's Almagest.[27] The
earliest definite sighting was in 1690, when John Escape velocity 21.3 km/s[7][c]
Flamsteed observed it at least six times, cataloguing it Synodic −0.718 32 d
rotation period −17 h 14 m 23 s
as 34 Tauri. The French astronomer Pierre Charles Le (retrograde)[6]
Monnier observed Uranus at least twelve times Sidereal −0.718 33 d
between 1750 and 1769,[28] including on four rotation period −17 h 14 min 24 s
consecutive nights. (retrograde)[11]
Equatorial 2.59 km/s
William Herschel observed Uranus on 13 March 1781 rotation velocity
from the garden of his house at 19 New King Street in
Axial tilt 82.23° (to orbit,
Bath, Somerset, England (now the Herschel Museum
retrograde).[7] 97.77°
of Astronomy),[29] and initially reported it (on 26 April
(prograde, right-hand rule)
1781) as a comet.[30] With a homemade 6.2-inch
reflecting telescope, Herschel "engaged in a series of North pole 17h 9m 15s
right ascension 257.311°[11][14]
observations on the parallax of the fixed stars."[31][32]
North pole −15.175°[11][14]
Herschel recorded in his journal: "In the quartile near ζ declination
Tauri ... either [a] Nebulous star or perhaps a Albedo 0.300 (Bond)[15]
comet."[33] On 17 March he noted: "I looked for the 0.488 (geom.)[16]
Comet or Nebulous Star and found that it is a Comet, Surface temp. min mean max
for it has changed its place."[34] When he presented his 1 bar level[17] 76 K
discovery to the Royal Society, he continued to assert (−197.2 °C)
that he had found a comet, but also implicitly 0.1 bar 47 K 53 K 57 K
compared it to a planet:[31] (tropopause)[18]
Apparent 5.38[19] to 6.03[19]
The power I had on when I first saw the magnitude
comet was 227. From experience I know that Absolute −7.2[20]
the diameters of the fixed stars are not magnitude (H)
proportionally magnified with higher Angular 3.3″ to 4.1″[7]
powers, as planets are; therefore I now put diameter
the powers at 460 and 932, and found that Atmosphere[18][21][22][f]
the diameter of the comet increased in Scale height 27.7 km[7]
proportion to the power, as it ought to be, on Composition by Below 1.3 bar (130 kPa):
the supposition of its not being a fixed star, volume 83 ± 3% hydrogen
while the diameters of the stars to which I
15 ± 3% helium
compared it were not increased in the same
ratio. Moreover, the comet being magnified 2.3% methane
much beyond what its light would admit of, 0.009% (0.007–0.015%)
appeared hazy and ill-defined with these hydrogen deuteride
great powers, while the stars preserved that hydrogen sulfide (trace
lustre and distinctness which from many amount)
thousand observations I knew they would Icy volatiles:
retain. The sequel has shown that my ammonia, water ice,
surmises were well-founded, this proving to ammonium hydrosulfide,
be the Comet we have lately observed.[31] methane hydrate

Herschel notified the Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne of his discovery and received this flummoxed
reply from him on 23 April 1781: "I don't know what to call it. It is as likely to be a regular planet moving
in an orbit nearly circular to the sun as a Comet moving in a very eccentric ellipsis. I have not yet seen
any coma or tail to it."[35]

Although Herschel continued to describe his new object as a

comet, other astronomers had already begun to suspect otherwise.
Finnish-Swedish astronomer Anders Johan Lexell, working in
Russia, was the first to compute the orbit of the new object.[36] Its
nearly circular orbit led him to the conclusion that it was a planet
rather than a comet. Berlin astronomer Johann Elert Bode
described Herschel's discovery as "a moving star that can be
deemed a hitherto unknown planet-like object circulating beyond Position of Uranus (marked with a
the orbit of Saturn".[37] Bode concluded that its near-circular orbit cross) on 13 March 1781, the date
was more like a planet's than a comet's.[38] of its discovery

The object was soon universally accepted as a new planet. By

1783, Herschel acknowledged this to Royal Society president Joseph
Banks: "By the observation of the most eminent Astronomers in Europe it
appears that the new star, which I had the honour of pointing out to them
in March 1781, is a Primary Planet of our Solar System."[39] In
recognition of his achievement, King George III gave Herschel an annual
stipend of £200 (equivalent to £30,000 in 2023)[40] on condition that he
moved to Windsor so that the Royal Family could look through his
telescopes.[41]

Name William Herschel,

discoverer of Uranus
The name Uranus references the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus
(Ancient Greek: Οὐρανός), known as Caelus in Roman mythology, the
father of Cronus (Saturn), grandfather of Zeus (Jupiter) and the great-grandfather of Ares (Mars), which
was rendered as Uranus in Latin (IPA: [ˈuːranʊs]).[2] It is the only one of the eight planets whose English
name derives from a figure of Greek mythology. The pronunciation of the name Uranus preferred among
astronomers is /ˈjʊərənəs/ YOOR-ə-nəs,[1] with the long "u" of English and stress on the first syllable as
in Latin Uranus, in contrast to /jʊˈreɪnəs/ yoo-RAY-nəs, with stress on the second syllable and a long a,
though both are considered acceptable.[g]

Consensus on the name was not reached until almost 70 years after the planet's discovery. During the
original discussions following discovery, Maskelyne asked Herschel to "do the astronomical world the
faver [sic] to give a name to your planet, which is entirely your own, [and] which we are so much obliged
to you for the discovery of".[43] In response to Maskelyne's request, Herschel decided to name the object
Georgium Sidus (George's Star), or the "Georgian Planet" in honour of his new patron, King George
III.[44] He explained this decision in a letter to Joseph Banks:[39]

In the fabulous ages of ancient times the appellations of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and
Saturn were given to the Planets, as being the names of their principal heroes and divinities. In
the present more philosophical era it would hardly be allowable to have recourse to the same
method and call it Juno, Pallas, Apollo or Minerva, for a name to our new heavenly body. The
 first consideration of any particular event, or remarkable incident, seems to be its chronology: if
in any future age it should be asked, when this last-found Planet was discovered? It would be a
very satisfactory answer to say, 'In the reign of King George the Third'.

Herschel's proposed name was not popular outside Britain and Hanover, and alternatives were soon
proposed. Astronomer Jérôme Lalande proposed that it be named Herschel in honour of its discoverer.[45]
Swedish astronomer Erik Prosperin proposed the names Astraea, Cybele (now the names of asteroids),
and Neptune, which would become the name of the next planet to be discovered. Georg Lichtenberg from
Göttingen also supported Astraea (as Austräa), but she is traditionally associated with Virgo instead of
Taurus. Neptune was supported by other astronomers who liked the idea of commemorating the victories
of the British Royal Naval fleet in the course of the American Revolutionary War by calling the new
planet either Neptune George III or Neptune Great Britain, a compromise Lexell suggested as well.[36][46]
Daniel Bernoulli suggested Hypercronius and Transaturnis. Minerva was also proposed.[46]

In a March 1782 treatise, Johann Elert Bode proposed Uranus, the

Latinised version of the Greek god of the sky, Ouranos.[47] Bode argued
that the name should follow the mythology so as not to stand out as
different from the other planets, and that Uranus was an appropriate name
as the father of the first generation of the Titans.[47] He also noted the
elegance of the name in that just as Saturn was the father of Jupiter, the
new planet should be named after the father of Saturn.[41][47][48][49]
However, he was apparently unaware that Uranus was only the Latinised
form of the deity's name, and the Roman equivalent was Caelus. In 1789,
Bode's Royal Academy colleague Martin Klaproth named his newly
discovered element uranium in support of Bode's choice.[50] Ultimately,
Johann Elert Bode, the
Bode's suggestion became the most widely used, and became universal in
astronomer who suggested
1850 when HM Nautical Almanac Office, the final holdout, switched from the name Uranus
using Georgium Sidus to Uranus.[48]

Uranus has two astronomical symbols. The first to be proposed, ,[h] was proposed by Johann Gottfried
Köhler at Bode's request in 1782.[51] Köhler suggested that the new planet be given the symbol for
platinum, which had been described scientifically only 30 years before. As there was no alchemical
symbol for platinum, he suggested or , a combination of the planetary-metal symbols ☉ (gold) and ♂
⛢
⛢

(iron), as platinum (or 'white gold') is found mixed with iron. Bode thought that an upright orientation, ⛢,
fit better with the symbols for the other planets while remaining distinct.[51] This symbol predominates in
modern astronomical use in the rare cases that symbols are used at all.[52][53] The second symbol, ,[i]
was suggested by Lalande in 1784. In a letter to Herschel, Lalande described it as "un globe surmonté par
la première lettre de votre nom" ("a globe surmounted by the first letter of your surname").[45] The second
symbol is nearly universal in astrology.

In English-language popular culture, humour is often derived from the common pronunciation of
Uranus's name, which resembles that of the phrase "your anus".[54]

Uranus is called by a variety of names in other languages. Uranus's name is literally translated as the
"Heavenly King star" in Chinese ( 天 王 星 ; Tiānwángxīng), Japanese ( 天 王 星 ), Korean (천왕성), and
Vietnamese (sao Thiên Vương).[55][56][57][58] In Thai, its official name is Dao Yurenat (ดาวยูเรนัส), as in
English. Its other name in Thai is Dao Maruettayu (ดาวมฤตยู, Star of Mṛtyu), after the Sanskrit word for
'death', Mrtyu (मृत्यु). In Mongolian, its name is Tengeriin Van (Тэнгэрийн ван), translated as 'King of the
Sky', reflecting its namesake god's role as the ruler of the heavens. In Hawaiian, its name is Heleʻekala,
the Hawaiian rendering of the name 'Herschel'.[59]

Formation
It is argued that the differences between the ice giants and the gas giants arise from their formation
history.[60][61][62] The Solar System is hypothesised to have formed from a rotating disk of gas and dust
known as the presolar nebula. Much of the nebula's gas, primarily hydrogen and helium, formed the Sun,
and the dust grains collected together to form the first protoplanets. As the planets grew, some of them
eventually accreted enough matter for their gravity to hold on to the nebula's leftover gas.[60][61][63] The
more gas they held onto, the larger they became; the larger they became, the more gas they held onto until
a critical point was reached, and their size began to increase exponentially.[64] The ice giants, with only a
few Earth masses of nebular gas, never reached that critical point.[60][61][65] Recent simulations of
planetary migration have suggested that both ice giants formed closer to the Sun than their present
positions, and moved outwards after formation (the Nice model).[60]

Orbit and rotation

Uranus orbits the Sun once every 84 years. As viewed against the background of stars, since being
discovered in 1781,[66] the planet has returned to the point of its discovery northeast of the binary star
Zeta Tauri twice—in March 1865 and March 1949—and will return to this location again in April
2033.[67]

Its average distance from the Sun is roughly 20 AU (3 billion km; 2 billion mi). The difference between
its minimum and maximum distance from the Sun is 1.8 AU, larger than that of any other planet, though
not as large as that of dwarf planet Pluto.[68] The intensity of sunlight varies inversely with the square of
the distance—on Uranus (at about 20 times the distance from the Sun compared to Earth), it is about
1/400 the intensity of light on Earth.[69]

The orbital elements of Uranus were first calculated in 1783 by Pierre-Simon Laplace.[70] With time,
discrepancies began to appear between predicted and observed orbits, and in 1841, John Couch Adams
first proposed that the differences might be due to the gravitational tug of an unseen planet. In 1845,
Urbain Le Verrier began his own independent research into Uranus's orbit. On 23 September 1846,
Johann Gottfried Galle located a new planet, later named Neptune, at nearly the position predicted by Le
Verrier.[71]

The rotational period of the interior of Uranus is 17 hours, 14 minutes. As on all giant planets, its upper
atmosphere experiences strong winds in the direction of rotation. At some latitudes, such as about 60
degrees south, visible features of the atmosphere move much faster, making a full rotation in as little as
14 hours.[72]

Axial tilt
The Uranian axis of rotation is approximately parallel to the plane
of the Solar System, with an axial tilt of 82.23°. Depending on
which pole is considered north, the tilt can be described either as
82.23° or as 97.8°. The former follows the International
Astronomical Union definition that the north pole is the pole
which lies on Earth's North's side of the invariable plane of the
Solar System. Uranus has retrograde rotation when defined this
way. Alternatively, the convention in which a body's north and Simulated Earth view of Uranus
south poles are defined according to the right-hand rule in relation from 1986 to 2030, from southern
to the direction of rotation, Uranus's axial tilt may be given instead summer solstice in 1986 to equinox
as 97.8°, which reverses which pole is considered north and which in 2007 and northern summer
solstice in 2028.
is considered south and giving the planet prograde rotation.[73]
This gives it seasonal changes completely unlike those of the other
planets. Pluto and asteroid 2 Pallas also have extreme axial tilts. Near the solstice, one pole faces the Sun
continuously and the other faces away, with only a narrow strip around the equator experiencing a rapid
day–night cycle, with the Sun low over the horizon. On the other side of Uranus's orbit, the orientation of
the poles towards the Sun is reversed. Each pole gets around 42 years of continuous sunlight, followed by
42 years of darkness.[74] Near the time of the equinoxes, the Sun faces the equator of Uranus, giving a
period of day–night cycles similar to those seen on most of the other planets.

One result of this axis orientation is that, averaged over the Uranian year, the near-polar regions of
Uranus receive a greater energy input from the Sun than its equatorial regions. Nevertheless, Uranus is
hotter at its equator than at its poles. The underlying mechanism that causes this is unknown. The reason
for Uranus's unusual axial tilt is also not known with certainty, but the usual speculation is that during the
formation of the Solar System, an Earth-sized protoplanet collided with Uranus, causing the skewed
orientation.[75] Research by Jacob Kegerreis of Durham University suggests that the tilt resulted from a
rock larger than Earth crashing into the planet 3 to 4 billion years ago.[76] Uranus's south pole was
pointed almost directly at the Sun at the time of Voyager 2 's flyby in 1986.[77][78]

List of solstices and equinoxes[79]

Northern hemisphere Year Southern hemisphere

Winter solstice 1902, 1986, 2069 Summer solstice

Vernal equinox 1923, 2007, 2092 Autumnal equinox

Summer solstice 1944, 2028 Winter solstice

Autumnal equinox 1965, 2050 Vernal equinox

Visibility from Earth

The mean apparent magnitude of Uranus is 5.68 with a standard deviation of 0.17, while the extremes are
5.38 and 6.03.[19] This range of brightness is near the limit of naked eye visibility. Much of the variability
is dependent upon the planetary latitudes being illuminated from the Sun and viewed from the Earth.[80]
Its angular diameter is between 3.4 and 3.7 arcseconds, compared with 16 to 20 arcseconds for Saturn and
32 to 45 arcseconds for Jupiter.[81] At opposition, Uranus is visible to the naked eye in dark skies, and
becomes an easy target even in urban conditions with binoculars.[7] On larger amateur telescopes with an
objective diameter of between 15 and 23 cm, Uranus appears as a pale cyan disk with distinct limb
darkening. With a large telescope of 25 cm or wider, cloud patterns, as well as some of the larger
satellites, such as Titania and Oberon, may be visible.[82]

Internal structure
Uranus's mass is roughly 14.5 times that of Earth, making it the
least massive of the giant planets. Its diameter is slightly larger
than Neptune's at roughly four times that of Earth. A resulting
density of 1.27 g/cm3 makes Uranus the second least dense planet,
after Saturn.[11][12] This value indicates that it is made primarily of
various ices, such as water, ammonia, and methane.[17] The total
mass of ice in Uranus's interior is not precisely known, because
different figures emerge depending on the model chosen; it must
be between 9.3 and 13.5 Earth masses.[17][83] Hydrogen and Size comparison of Earth and
helium constitute only a small part of the total, with between 0.5 Uranus
and 1.5 Earth masses.[17] The remainder of the non-ice mass (0.5
to 3.7 Earth masses) is accounted for by rocky material.[17]

The standard model of Uranus's structure is that it consists of three layers: a rocky (silicate/iron–nickel)
core in the centre, an icy mantle in the middle, and an outer gaseous hydrogen/helium envelope.[17][84]
The core is relatively small, with a mass of only 0.55 Earth masses and a radius less than 20% of the
planet; the mantle comprises its bulk, with around 13.4 Earth masses, and the upper atmosphere is
relatively insubstantial, weighing about 0.5 Earth masses and extending for the last 20% of Uranus's
radius.[17][84] Uranus's core density is around 9 g/cm3, with a pressure in the centre of 8 million bars (800
GPa) and a temperature of about 5000 K.[83][84] The ice mantle is not in fact composed of ice in the
conventional sense, but of a hot and dense fluid consisting of water, ammonia and other volatiles.[17][84]
This fluid, which has a high electrical conductivity, is sometimes called a water–ammonia ocean.[85]

Diagram of the interior of Uranus, listing each layer's composition

The extreme pressure and temperature deep within Uranus may break up the methane molecules, with the
carbon atoms condensing into crystals of diamond that rain down through the mantle like
hailstones.[86][87] This phenomenon is similar to diamond rains that are theorised by scientists to exist on
Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune.[88][89] Very-high-pressure experiments at the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory suggest that an ocean of metallic liquid carbon, perhaps with floating solid 'diamond-bergs',
may comprise the base of the mantle.[90][91][92]

The bulk compositions of Uranus and Neptune are different from those of Jupiter and Saturn, with ice
dominating over gases, hence justifying their separate classification as ice giants. There may be a layer of
ionic water where the water molecules break down into a soup of hydrogen and oxygen ions, and deeper
down superionic water in which the oxygen crystallises but the hydrogen ions move freely within the
oxygen lattice.[93]

Although the model considered above is reasonably standard, it is not unique; other models also satisfy
observations. For instance, if substantial amounts of hydrogen and rocky material are mixed in the ice
mantle, the total mass of ices in the interior will be lower, and, correspondingly, the total mass of rocks
and hydrogen will be higher. Presently available data does not allow a scientific determination of which
model is correct.[83] The fluid interior structure of Uranus means that it has no solid surface. The gaseous
atmosphere gradually transitions into the internal liquid layers.[17] For the sake of convenience, a
revolving oblate spheroid set at the point at which atmospheric pressure equals 1 bar (100 kPa) is
conditionally designated as a "surface". It has equatorial and polar radii of 25,559 ± 4 km
(15,881.6 ± 2.5 mi) and 24,973 ± 20 km (15,518 ± 12 mi), respectively.[11] This surface is used
throughout this article as a zero point for altitudes.

Internal heat
Uranus's internal heat appears markedly lower than that of the other giant planets; in astronomical terms,
it has a low thermal flux.[23][94] Why Uranus's internal temperature is so low is still not understood.
Neptune, which is Uranus's near twin in size and composition, radiates 2.61 times as much energy into
space as it receives from the Sun,[23] but Uranus radiates hardly any excess heat at all. The total power
radiated by Uranus in the far infrared (i.e. heat) part of the spectrum is 1.06 ± 0.08 times the solar energy
absorbed in its atmosphere.[18][95] Uranus's heat flux is only 0.042 ± 0.047 W/m2, which is lower than the
internal heat flux of Earth of about 0.075 W/m2.[95] The lowest temperature recorded in Uranus's
tropopause is 49 K (−224.2 °C; −371.5 °F), making Uranus the coldest planet in the Solar System.[18][95]

One of the hypotheses for this discrepancy suggests the Earth-sized impactor theorised to be behind
Uranus's axial tilt left the planet with a depleted core temperature, as the impact caused Uranus to expel
most of its primordial heat.[96] Another hypothesis is that some form of barrier exists in Uranus's upper
layers that prevents the core's heat from reaching the surface.[17] For example, convection may take place
in a set of compositionally different layers, which may inhibit upward heat transport;[18][95] perhaps
double diffusive convection is a limiting factor.[17]

In a 2021 study, the ice giants' interior conditions were mimicked by compressing water that contained
minerals such as olivine and ferropericlase, thus showing that large amounts of magnesium could be
dissolved in the liquid interiors of Uranus and Neptune. If Uranus has more of this magnesium than
Neptune, it could form a thermal insulation layer, thus potentially explaining the planet's low
temperature.[97]

Atmosphere
Although there is no well-defined solid surface within Uranus's interior, the outermost part of Uranus's
gaseous envelope that is accessible to remote sensing is called its atmosphere.[18] Remote-sensing
capability extends down to roughly 300 km below the 1 bar (100 kPa) level, with a corresponding
pressure around 100 bar (10 MPa) and temperature of 320 K (47 °C; 116 °F).[98] The tenuous
thermosphere extends over two planetary radii from the nominal surface, which is defined to lie at a
pressure of 1 bar.[99] The Uranian atmosphere can be divided into three layers: the troposphere, between
altitudes of −300 and 50 km (−186 and 31 mi) and pressures from 100 to 0.1 bar (10 MPa to 10 kPa); the
stratosphere, spanning altitudes between 50 and 4,000 km (31 and 2,485 mi) and pressures of between
0.1 and 10−10 bar (10 kPa to 10 μPa); and the thermosphere extending from 4,000 km to as high as
50,000 km from the surface.[18] There is no mesosphere.

Composition
The composition of Uranus's
atmosphere is different from its bulk,
consisting mainly of molecular
hydrogen and helium.[18] The helium
molar fraction, i.e. the number of
helium atoms per molecule of gas, is
0.15 ± 0.03[22] in the upper
troposphere, which corresponds to a
mass fraction 0.26 ± 0.05.[18][95] This
value is close to the protosolar helium
mass fraction of 0.275 ± 0.01,[100]
indicating that helium has not settled
in its centre as it has in the gas
giants.[18] The third-most-abundant
Diagram of the Uranus atmosphere's composition and layers,
component of Uranus's atmosphere is
along with the graph of its pressure
methane (CH4).[18] Methane has
prominent absorption bands in the
visible and near-infrared (IR), making Uranus aquamarine or cyan in colour.[18] Methane molecules
account for 2.3% of the atmosphere by molar fraction below the methane cloud deck at the pressure level
of 1.3 bar (130 kPa); this represents about 20 to 30 times the carbon abundance found in the
Sun.[18][21][101]

The mixing ratio[j] is much lower in the upper atmosphere due to its extremely low temperature, which
lowers the saturation level and causes excess methane to freeze out.[102] The abundances of less volatile
compounds such as ammonia, water, and hydrogen sulfide in the deep atmosphere are poorly known.
They are probably also higher than solar values.[18][103] Along with methane, trace amounts of various
hydrocarbons are found in the stratosphere of Uranus, which are thought to be produced from methane by
photolysis induced by the solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation.[104] They include ethane (C2H6), acetylene
(C2H2), methylacetylene (CH3C2H), and diacetylene (C2HC2H).[102][105][106] Spectroscopy has also
uncovered traces of water vapour, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide in the upper atmosphere, which
can only originate from an external source such as infalling dust and comets.[105][106][107]

Troposphere
The troposphere is the lowest and densest part of the atmosphere and is characterised by a decrease in
temperature with altitude.[18] The temperature falls from about 320 K (47 °C; 116 °F) at the base of the
nominal troposphere at −300 km to 53 K (−220 °C; −364 °F) at 50 km.[98][101] The temperatures in the
coldest upper region of the troposphere (the tropopause) actually vary in the range between 49 and 57 K
(−224 and −216 °C; −371 and −357 °F) depending on planetary latitude.[18][94] The tropopause region is
responsible for the vast majority of Uranus's thermal far infrared emissions, thus determining its effective
temperature of 59.1 ± 0.3 K (−214.1 ± 0.3 °C; −353.3 ± 0.5 °F).[94][95]

The troposphere is thought to have a highly complex cloud structure; water clouds are hypothesised to lie
in the pressure range of 50 to 100 bar (5 to 10 MPa), ammonium hydrosulfide clouds in the range of 20 to
40 bar (2 to 4 MPa), ammonia or hydrogen sulfide clouds at between 3 and 10 bar (0.3 and 1 MPa) and
finally directly detected thin methane clouds at 1 to 2 bar (0.1 to 0.2 MPa).[18][21][98][108] The troposphere
is a dynamic part of the atmosphere, exhibiting strong winds, bright clouds, and seasonal changes.[23]

Upper atmosphere
The middle layer of the Uranian atmosphere is the stratosphere,
where temperature generally increases with altitude from 53 K
(−220 °C; −364 °F) in the tropopause to between 800 and 850 K
(527 and 577 °C; 980 and 1,070 °F) at the base of the
thermosphere.[99] The heating of the stratosphere is caused by
absorption of solar UV and IR radiation by methane and other
hydrocarbons,[110] which form in this part of the atmosphere as a
result of methane photolysis.[104] Heat is also conducted from the
hot thermosphere.[110] The hydrocarbons occupy a relatively
narrow layer at altitudes of between 100 and 300 km
corresponding to a pressure range of 1,000 to 10 Pa and
temperatures of between 75 and 170 K (−198 and −103 °C; −325 Uranus's upper atmosphere imaged
and −154 °F).[102][105] by HST during the Outer Planet
Atmosphere Legacy (OPAL)
The most abundant hydrocarbons are methane, acetylene, and observing program.[109]
−7
ethane with mixing ratios of around 10 relative to hydrogen. The
mixing ratio of carbon monoxide is similar at these
altitudes.[102][105][107] Heavier hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide have mixing ratios three orders of
magnitude lower.[105] The abundance ratio of water is around 7 × 10−9.[106] Ethane and acetylene tend to
condense in the colder lower part of the stratosphere and tropopause (below 10 mBar level) forming haze
layers,[104] which may be partly responsible for the bland appearance of Uranus. The concentration of
hydrocarbons in the Uranian stratosphere above the haze is significantly lower than in the stratospheres of
the other giant planets.[102][111]
 The outermost layer of the Uranian atmosphere is the
thermosphere and corona, which has a uniform temperature of
around 800 K (527 °C) to 850 K (577 °C).[18][111] The heat
sources necessary to sustain such a high level are not
understood, as neither the solar UV nor the auroral activity
Planet Uranus – North Pole – Cyclone can provide the necessary energy to maintain these
(VLA; October 2021) temperatures. The weak cooling efficiency due to the lack of
hydrocarbons in the stratosphere above 0.1 mBar pressure
levels may contribute too.[99][111] In addition to molecular
hydrogen, the thermosphere-corona contains many free hydrogen atoms. Their small mass and high
temperatures explain why the corona extends as far as 50,000 km (31,000 mi), or two Uranian radii, from
its surface.[99][111]

This extended corona is a unique feature of Uranus.[111] Its effects include a drag on small particles
orbiting Uranus, causing a general depletion of dust in the Uranian rings.[99] The Uranian thermosphere,
together with the upper part of the stratosphere, corresponds to the ionosphere of Uranus.[101]
Observations show that the ionosphere occupies altitudes from 2,000 to 10,000 km (1,200 to
6,200 mi).[101] The Uranian ionosphere is denser than that of either Saturn or Neptune, which may arise
from the low concentration of hydrocarbons in the stratosphere.[111][112] The ionosphere is mainly
sustained by solar UV radiation and its density depends on the solar activity.[113] Auroral activity is
insignificant as compared to Jupiter and Saturn.[111][114]

Climate
At ultraviolet and visible wavelengths, Uranus's atmosphere is bland in comparison to the other giant
planets, even to Neptune, which it otherwise closely resembles.[23] When Voyager 2 flew by Uranus in
1986, it observed a total of 10 cloud features across the entire planet.[115][116] One proposed explanation
for this dearth of features is that Uranus's internal heat is markedly lower than that of the other giant
planets, being the coldest planet in the Solar System.[18][95]

Banded structure, winds and clouds

In 1986, Voyager 2 found that the visible southern hemisphere of
Uranus can be subdivided into two regions: a bright polar cap and
dark equatorial bands.[115] Their boundary is located at about −45°
of latitude. A narrow band straddling the latitudinal range from
−45 to −50° is the brightest large feature on its visible
surface.[115][117] It is called a southern "collar". The cap and collar
are thought to be a dense region of methane clouds located within
the pressure range of 1.3 to 2 bar.[118] Besides the large-scale
Voyager 2's timelapse of Uranus's
banded structure, Voyager 2 observed ten small bright clouds, dynamic atmosphere
most lying several degrees to the north from the collar.[115] In all
other respects, Uranus looked like a dynamically dead planet in
1986.
Voyager 2 arrived during the height of Uranus's southern summer and could not observe the northern
hemisphere. At the beginning of the 21st century, when the northern polar region came into view, the
Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Keck telescope initially observed neither a collar nor a polar cap in
the northern hemisphere.[117] So Uranus appeared to be asymmetric: bright near the south pole and
uniformly dark in the region north of the southern collar.[117] In 2007, when Uranus passed its equinox,
the southern collar almost disappeared, and a faint northern collar emerged near 45° of latitude.[119] In
2023, a team employing the Very Large Array observed a dark collar at 80° latitude, and a bright spot at
the north pole, indicating the presence of a polar vortex.[120]

In the 1990s, the number of the observed bright cloud features

grew considerably, partly because new high-resolution imaging
techniques became available.[23] Most were found in the northern
hemisphere as it started to become visible.[23] An early
explanation—that bright clouds are easier to identify in its dark
part, whereas in the southern hemisphere the bright collar masks
them—was shown to be incorrect.[121][122] Nevertheless, there are
differences between the clouds of each hemisphere. The northern
The first dark spot observed on clouds are smaller, sharper and brighter.[122] They appear to lie at
Uranus. Image obtained by the HST a higher altitude.[122] The lifetime of clouds spans several orders
ACS in 2006. of magnitude. Some small clouds live for hours; at least one
southern cloud may have persisted since the Voyager 2
flyby.[23][116] Recent observation also discovered that cloud
features on Uranus have a lot in common with those on Neptune.[23] For example, the dark spots common
on Neptune had never been observed on Uranus before 2006, when the first such feature dubbed Uranus
Dark Spot was imaged.[123] The speculation is that Uranus is becoming more Neptune-like during its
equinoctial season.[124]

The tracking of numerous cloud features allowed determination of zonal winds blowing in the upper
troposphere of Uranus.[23] At the equator winds are retrograde, which means that they blow in the reverse
direction to the planetary rotation. Their speeds are from −360 to −180 km/h (−220 to −110 mph).[23][117]
Wind speeds increase with the distance from the equator, reaching zero values near ±20° latitude, where
the troposphere's temperature minimum is located.[23][94] Closer to the poles, the winds shift to a
prograde direction, flowing with Uranus's rotation. Wind speeds continue to increase reaching maxima at
±60° latitude before falling to zero at the poles.[23] Wind speeds at −40° latitude range from 540 to
720 km/h (340 to 450 mph). Because the collar obscures all clouds below that parallel, speeds between it
and the southern pole are impossible to measure.[23] In contrast, in the northern hemisphere maximum
speeds as high as 860 km/h (540 mph) are observed near +50° latitude.[23][117][125]

In 1986, the Voyager 2 Planetary Radio Astronomy (PRA) experiment observed 140 lightning flashes, or
Uranian electrostatic discharges with a frequency of 0.9-40 MHz.[126][127] The UEDs were detected from
600,000 km of Uranus over 24 hours, most of which were not visible .[126] However, microphysical
modelling suggests that Uranian lightning occurs in convective storms occurring in deep troposphere
water clouds.[126][128] If this is the case, lightning will not be visible due to the thick cloud layers above
the troposphere.[127] The UEDs were detected from 600,000 km of Uranus, most of which were not
visible .[126] Uranian lightning has a power of around 108 W, emits 1×10^7 J - 2×10^7 J of energy, and
lasts an average of 120 ms. There is a possibility that the power of Uranian lightning varies greatly with
the seasons caused by changes in convection rates in the clouds[127] The UEDs were detected from
600,000 km of Uranus, most of which were not visible.[126] Uranian lightning is much more powerful
than lightning on Earth and comparable to Jovian lightning.[127] During the Ice Giant flybys, "Voyager 2"
detected lightning more clearly on Uranus than on Neptune due to the planet's lower gravity and possible
warmer deep atmosphere.[128]

Seasonal variation
For a short period from March to May 2004, large clouds appeared in the
Uranian atmosphere, giving it a Neptune-like appearance.[129][122][130]
Observations included record-breaking wind speeds of 820 km/h
(510 mph) and a persistent thunderstorm referred to as "Fourth of July
fireworks".[116] On 23 August 2006, researchers at the Space Science
Institute (Boulder, Colorado) and the University of Wisconsin observed a
dark spot on Uranus's surface, giving scientists more insight into Uranus
atmospheric activity.[123] Why this sudden upsurge in activity occurred is
not fully known, but it appears that Uranus's extreme axial tilt results in
extreme seasonal variations in its weather.[131][124] Determining the nature
of this seasonal variation is difficult because good data on Uranus's
atmosphere has existed for less than 84 years, or one full Uranian year.
Photometry over the course of half a Uranian year (beginning in the Uranus in 2005. Rings,
1950s) has shown regular variation in the brightness in two spectral bands, southern collar and a bright
with maxima occurring at the solstices and minima occurring at the cloud in the northern
[132] hemisphere are visible
equinoxes. A similar periodic variation, with maxima at the solstices,
(HST ACS image).
has been noted in microwave measurements of the deep troposphere
begun in the 1960s.[133] Stratospheric temperature measurements
beginning in the 1970s also showed maximum values near the 1986 solstice.[110] The majority of this
variability is thought to occur owing to changes in viewing geometry.[121]

There are some indications that physical seasonal changes are happening in Uranus. Although Uranus is
known to have a bright south polar region, the north pole is fairly dim, which is incompatible with the
model of the seasonal change outlined above.[124] During its previous northern solstice in 1944, Uranus
displayed elevated levels of brightness, which suggests that the north pole was not always so dim.[132]
This information implies that the visible pole brightens some time before the solstice and darkens after
the equinox.[124] Detailed analysis of the visible and microwave data revealed that the periodical changes
in brightness are not completely symmetrical around the solstices, which also indicates a change in the
meridional albedo patterns.[124]

In the 1990s, as Uranus moved away from its solstice, Hubble and ground-based telescopes revealed that
the south polar cap darkened noticeably (except the southern collar, which remained bright),[118] whereas
the northern hemisphere demonstrated increasing activity,[116] such as cloud formations and stronger
winds, bolstering expectations that it should brighten soon.[122] This indeed happened in 2007 when it
passed an equinox: a faint northern polar collar arose, and the southern collar became nearly invisible,
although the zonal wind profile remained slightly asymmetric, with northern winds being somewhat
slower than southern.[119]
The mechanism of these physical changes is still not clear.[124] Near the summer and winter solstices,
Uranus's hemispheres lie alternately either in full glare of the Sun's rays or facing deep space. The
brightening of the sunlit hemisphere is thought to result from the local thickening of the methane clouds
and haze layers located in the troposphere.[118] The bright collar at −45° latitude is also connected with
methane clouds.[118] Other changes in the southern polar region can be explained by changes in the lower
cloud layers.[118] The variation of the microwave emission from Uranus is probably caused by changes in
the deep tropospheric circulation, because thick polar clouds and haze may inhibit convection.[134] Now
that the spring and autumn equinoxes are arriving on Uranus, the dynamics are changing and convection
can occur again.[116][134]

Magnetosphere
Before the arrival of Voyager 2, no measurements of
the Uranian magnetosphere had been taken, so its
nature remained a mystery. Before 1986, scientists
had expected the magnetic field of Uranus to be in
line with the solar wind, because it would then align
with Uranus's poles that lie in the ecliptic.[135]

Voyager 's observations revealed that Uranus's

magnetic field is peculiar, both because it does not
originate from its geometric centre, and because it is The magnetic field of Uranus
tilted at 59° from the axis of rotation. [135][136] In (animated; 25 March 2020)
fact, the magnetic dipole is shifted from Uranus's
centre towards the south rotational pole by as much
as one-third of the planetary radius.[135] This unusual geometry results in a highly asymmetric
magnetosphere, where the magnetic field strength on the surface in the southern hemisphere can be as
low as 0.1 gauss (10 μT), whereas in the northern hemisphere it can be as high as 1.1 gauss
(110 μT).[135] The average field at the surface is 0.23 gauss (23 μT).[135]

Studies of Voyager 2 data in 2017 suggest that this asymmetry

causes Uranus's magnetosphere to connect with the solar wind
once a Uranian day, opening the planet to the Sun's particles.[137]
In comparison, the magnetic field of Earth is roughly as strong at
either pole, and its "magnetic equator" is roughly parallel with its
geographical equator.[136] The dipole moment of Uranus is
50 times that of Earth.[135][136] Neptune has a similarly displaced
and tilted magnetic field, suggesting that this may be a common
A diagram showing Uranus's feature of ice giants.[136] One hypothesis is that, unlike the
asymmetric magnetosphere magnetic fields of the terrestrial and gas giants, which are
generated within their cores, the ice giants' magnetic fields are
generated by motion at relatively shallow depths, for instance, in
the water–ammonia ocean. [85][138] Another possible explanation for the magnetosphere's alignment is that
there are oceans of liquid diamond in Uranus's interior that would deter the magnetic field.[91]
It is, however, unclear whether the observed asymmetry of Uranus' magnetic field represents the typical
state of the magnetosphere, or a coincidence of observing it during unusual space weather conditions. A
post-analysis of Voyager data from 2024 suggests that the strongly asymmetric shape of the
magnetosphere observed during the fly-by represents an anomalous state, as the measured values of solar
wind density at the time were unusually high, which could have compressed Uranus' magnetosphere. The
interaction with the solar wind event could also explain the apparent paradox of presence of strong
electron radiation belts despite the otherwise low magnetospheric plasma density measured. Such
conditions are estimated to occur less than 5% of the time.[139][140]

Despite its curious alignment, in other respects the Uranian magnetosphere is like those of other planets:
it has a bow shock at about 23 Uranian radii ahead of it, a magnetopause at 18 Uranian radii, a fully
developed magnetotail, and radiation belts.[135][136][141] Overall, the structure of Uranus's magnetosphere
is different from Jupiter's and more similar to Saturn's.[135][136] Uranus's magnetotail trails behind it into
space for millions of kilometres and is twisted by its sideways rotation into a long corkscrew.[135][142]

Uranus's magnetosphere contains charged particles: mainly

protons and electrons, with a small amount of H2+ ions.[136][141]
Many of these particles probably derive from the
thermosphere.[141] The ion and electron energies can be as high as
4 and 1.2 megaelectronvolts, respectively.[141] The density of low-
energy (below 1 kiloelectronvolt) ions in the inner magnetosphere
is about 2 cm−3.[144] The particle population is strongly affected
by the Uranian moons, which sweep through the magnetosphere,
leaving noticeable gaps.[141] The particle flux is high enough to
cause darkening or space weathering of their surfaces on an Aurorae on Uranus taken by the
astronomically rapid timescale of 100,000 years.[141] This may be Space Telescope Imaging
the cause of the uniformly dark colouration of the Uranian Spectrograph (STIS) installed on
satellites and rings.[145] Hubble.[143]

Uranus has relatively well developed aurorae, which are seen as

bright arcs around both magnetic poles.[111] Unlike Jupiter's, Uranus's aurorae seem to be insignificant for
the energy balance of the planetary thermosphere.[114] They, or rather their trihydrogen cations' infrared
spectral emissions, have been studied in-depth as of late 2023.[146]

In March 2020, NASA astronomers reported the detection of a large atmospheric magnetic bubble, also
known as a plasmoid, released into outer space from the planet Uranus, after reevaluating old data
recorded by the Voyager 2 space probe during a flyby of the planet in 1986.[147][148]

Moons
Uranus has 28 known natural satellites.[149] The names of these satellites are chosen from characters in
the works of Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.[84][150] The five main satellites are Miranda, Ariel,
Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon.[84] The Uranian satellite system is the least massive among those of the
giant planets; the combined mass of the five major satellites would be less than half that of Triton (largest
moon of Neptune) alone.[12] The largest of Uranus's satellites, Titania, has a radius of only 788.9 km
(490.2 mi), or less than half that of the Moon, but slightly more than Rhea, the second-largest satellite of
Saturn, making Titania the eighth-largest moon in the
Solar System. Uranus's satellites have relatively low
albedos; ranging from 0.20 for Umbriel to 0.35 for
Ariel (in green light).[115] They are ice–rock
conglomerates composed of roughly 50% ice and
50% rock. The ice may include ammonia and carbon Major moons of Uranus in order of increasing
dioxide.[145][151] distance (left to right), at their proper relative sizes
and albedos. From left to right, they are Miranda,
Among the Uranian satellites, Ariel appears to have Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon. (collage of
the youngest surface, with the fewest impact craters, Voyager 2 photographs)
and Umbriel the oldest.[115][145] Miranda has fault
canyons 20 km (12 mi) deep, terraced layers, and a
chaotic variation in surface ages and features.[115] Miranda's past
geologic activity is thought to have been driven by tidal heating at
a time when its orbit was more eccentric than currently, probably
as a result of a former 3:1 orbital resonance with Umbriel.[152]
Extensional processes associated with upwelling diapirs are the
likely origin of Miranda's 'racetrack'-like coronae.[153][154] Ariel is
thought to have once been held in a 4:1 resonance with
Titania.[155]

Uranus has at least one horseshoe orbiter occupying the Sun–

Uranus L3 Lagrangian point—a gravitationally unstable region at
180° in its orbit, 83982 Crantor.[156][157] Crantor moves inside
Uranus's co-orbital region on a complex, temporary horseshoe
Uranus along with its five major
orbit. 2010 EU65 is also a promising Uranus horseshoe librator
moons and nine inner moons as
candidate.[157] taken by the James Webb Space
Telescope's NIRCam.

Rings
The Uranian rings are composed of extremely dark particles,
which vary in size from micrometres to a fraction of a metre.[115]
Thirteen distinct rings are presently known, the brightest being the
ε ring. All except the two rings of Uranus are extremely narrow—
they are usually a few kilometres wide. The rings are probably
quite young; the dynamics considerations indicate that they did
not form with Uranus. The matter in the rings may once have been
part of a moon (or moons) that was shattered by high-speed
Uranus's rings, inner moons, and impacts. From numerous pieces of debris that formed as a result of
atmosphere as imaged by the those impacts, only a few particles survived, in stable zones
James Webb Space Telescope's corresponding to the locations of the present rings.[145][158]
near-infrared camera.
William Herschel described a possible ring around Uranus in
1789. This sighting is generally considered doubtful, because the
rings are quite faint, and in the two following centuries none were noted by other observers. Still,
Herschel made an accurate description of the epsilon ring's size, its angle relative to Earth, its red colour,
and its apparent changes as Uranus travelled around the Sun.[159][160] The ring system was definitively
discovered on 10 March 1977 by James L. Elliot, Edward W. Dunham, and Jessica Mink using the Kuiper
Airborne Observatory. The discovery was serendipitous; they planned to use the occultation of the star
SAO 158687 (also known as HD 128598) by Uranus to study its atmosphere. When their observations
were analysed, they found that the star had disappeared briefly from view five times both before and after
it disappeared behind Uranus. They concluded that there must be a ring system around Uranus.[161] Later,
they detected four additional rings.[161] The rings were directly imaged when Voyager 2 passed Uranus in
1986.[115] Voyager 2 also discovered two additional faint rings, bringing the total number to eleven.[115]

In December 2005, the Hubble Space Telescope detected a pair of previously unknown rings. The largest
is located twice as far from Uranus as the previously known rings. These new rings are so far from
Uranus that they are called the "outer" ring system. Hubble also spotted two small satellites, one of
which, Mab, shares its orbit with the outermost newly discovered ring. The new rings bring the total
number of Uranian rings to 13.[162] In April 2006, images of the new rings from the Keck Observatory
yielded the colours of the outer rings: the outermost is blue and the other one red.[163][164] One
hypothesis concerning the outer ring's blue colour is that it is composed of minute particles of water ice
from the surface of Mab that are small enough to scatter blue light.[163][165] In contrast, Uranus's inner
rings appear grey.[163]

Although the Uranian rings are very difficult to directly observe from Earth, advances in digital imaging
have allowed several amateur astronomers to successfully photograph the rings with red or infrared
filters; telescopes with apertures as small as 36 cm (14 inches) may be able to detect the rings with proper
imaging equipment.[166]

Exploration
Launched in 1977, Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Uranus
on 24 January 1986, coming within 81,500 km (50,600 mi) of the
cloudtops, before continuing its journey to Neptune. The
spacecraft studied the structure and chemical composition of
Uranus's atmosphere,[101] including its unique weather, caused by
its extreme axial tilt. It made the first detailed investigations of its
five largest moons and discovered 10 new ones. Voyager 2
examined all nine of the system's known rings and discovered two
more.[115][145][167] It also studied the magnetic field, its irregular
structure, its tilt and its unique corkscrew magnetotail caused by
Uranus's sideways orientation.[135]
Uranus as seen from the Cassini
No other spacecraft has flown by Uranus since then, though there spacecraft at Saturn
have been many proposed missions to revisit the Uranus system.
The possibility of sending the Cassini spacecraft from Saturn to
Uranus was evaluated during a mission extension planning phase in 2009, but was ultimately rejected in
favour of destroying it in the Saturnian atmosphere,[168] as it would have taken about twenty years to get
to the Uranian system after departing Saturn.[168] A Uranus entry probe could use Pioneer Venus
Multiprobe heritage and descend to 1–5 atmospheres.[169] A Uranus orbiter and probe was recommended
by the 2013–2022 Planetary Science Decadal Survey published in 2011; the proposal envisaged launch
during 2020–2023 and a 13-year cruise to Uranus.[169] The committee's opinion was reaffirmed in 2022,
when a Uranus probe/orbiter mission was placed at the highest priority, due to the lack of knowledge
about ice giants.[170] Most recently, the CNSA's Tianwen-4 Jupiter orbiter, launching in 2029, is planned
to have a subprobe that will detach and get a gravity assist instead of entering orbit, flying by Uranus in
March 2045 before heading to interstellar space.[25] China also has plans for a potential Tianwen-5 that
may orbit either Uranus or Neptune that have yet to come to fruition.[25]

In culture
In modern astrology, the planet Uranus (symbol ) is the ruling planet of Aquarius; prior to
the discovery of Uranus, the ruling planet of Aquarius was Saturn. Because Uranus is cyan
and Uranus is associated with electricity, the colour electric blue, which is close to cyan, is
associated with the sign Aquarius.[171]
The chemical element uranium, discovered in 1789 by the German chemist Martin Heinrich
Klaproth, was named after the then-newly discovered Uranus.[172]
Lydia Sigourney included her poem The Georgian Planet in her 1827 collection of poetry.
"Uranus, the Magician" is a movement in Gustav Holst's orchestral suite The Planets,
written between 1914 and 1916.
Operation Uranus was the successful military operation in World War II by the Red Army to
take back Stalingrad and marked the turning point in the land war against the Wehrmacht.
The lines "Then felt I like some watcher of the skies/When a new planet swims into his ken",
from John Keats's "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer", are a reference to Herschel's
discovery of Uranus.[173]

See also
2011 QF99 and 2014 YX49, the only two Outline of Uranus
known Uranus trojans Statistics of planets in the Solar System
Colonisation of Uranus Uranus in astrology
Extraterrestrial diamonds (thought to be Uranus in fiction
abundant in Uranus)

Notes
a. Based on Irwin, Patrick G J; Dobinson, Jack; James, Arjuna; Teanby, Nicholas A; Simon,
Amy A; Fletcher, Leigh N; Roman, Michael T; Orton, Glenn S; Wong, Michael H; Toledo,
Daniel; Pérez-Hoyos, Santiago; Beck, Julie (23 December 2023). "Modelling the seasonal
cycle of Uranus's colour and magnitude, and comparison with Neptune" ([Link]
[Link]/mnras/article/527/4/11521/7511973). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
Society. 527 (4): 11521–11538. doi:10.1093/mnras/stad3761 ([Link]
nras%2Fstad3761). hdl:20.500.11850/657542 ([Link]
542). ISSN 0035-8711 ([Link]
b. These are the mean elements from VSOP87, together with derived quantities.
c. Refers to the level of 1 bar atmospheric pressure.
d. Calculated using data from Seidelmann, 2007.[11]
e. Based on the volume within the level of 1 bar atmospheric pressure.
 f. Calculation of He, H2 and CH4 molar fractions is based on a 2.3% mixing ratio of methane
to hydrogen and the 15/85 He/H2 proportions measured at the tropopause.
g. Because, in the English-speaking world, the latter sounds like "your anus", the former
pronunciation also saves embarrassment: as Pamela Gay, an astronomer at Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville, noted on her podcast, to avoid "being made fun of by any
small schoolchildren ... when in doubt, don't emphasise anything and just say /ˈjʊərənəs/.
And then run, quickly."[42]
h. Cf. (not supported by all fonts)
i. Cf. (not supported by all fonts)
j. Mixing ratio is defined as the number of molecules of a compound per a molecule of
hydrogen.

References
1. Because the vowel a is short in both Greek and Latin, the former pronunciation, /ˈjʊərənəs/,
is the expected one. The BBC Pronunciation Unit notes that this pronunciation "is the
preferred usage of astronomers": Holmquist Olausson, Lena; Sangster, Catherine, eds.
(2006). Oxford BBC Guide to Pronunciation: The Essential Handbook of the Spoken Word.
Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 404. ISBN 978-0-19-280710-6.
2. "Uranus" ([Link] Oxford English Dictionary
(Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership (http
s://[Link]/public/login/loggingin#withyourlibrary) required.)
3. "Uranian" ([Link] Oxford English Dictionary
(Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership (http
s://[Link]/public/login/loggingin#withyourlibrary) required.)
4. Simon, J.L.; Bretagnon, P.; Chapront, J.; Chapront-Touzé, M.; Francou, G.; Laskar, J.
(February 1994). "Numerical expressions for precession formulae and mean elements for
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Bereits in der am 12ten März 1782 bei der hiesigen naturforschenden Gesellschaft
vorgelesenen Abhandlung, habe ich den Namen des Vaters vom Saturn, nemlich
Uranos, oder wie er mit der lateinischen Endung gewöhnlicher ist, Uranus
vorgeschlagen, und habe seit dem das Vergnügen gehabt, daß verschiedene
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Planeten entlehnen worden; denn in der Reihe der bisher bekannten, würde der
von einer merkwürdigen Person oder Begebenheit der neuern Zeit
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die Geschichte der Atlanten, eines uralten Volks, welches eine der fruchtbarsten
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Vaterland der Götter ansah. Uranus war ihr, erster König, Stifter ihres gesitteter
Lebens und Erfinder vieler nützlichen Künste. Zugleich wird er auch als ein
fleißiger und geschickter Himmelsforscher des Alterthums beschrieben... Noch
mehr: Uranus war der Vater des Saturns und des Atlas, so wie der erstere der
Vater des Jupiters.

[Translated]:

Already in the pre-read at the local Natural History Society on 12th March 1782
treatise, I have the father's name from Saturn, namely Uranos, or as it is usually
with the Latin suffix, proposed Uranus, and have since had the pleasure that
various astronomers and mathematicians, cited in their writings or letters to me
approving this designation. In my view, it is necessary to follow the mythology in
this election, which had been borrowed from the ancient name of the other planets;
because in the series of previously known, perceived by a strange person or event
of modern times name of a planet would very noticeable. Diodorus of Cilicia tells
the story of Atlas, an ancient people that inhabited one of the most fertile areas in
Africa, and looked at the sea shores of his country as the homeland of the gods.
Uranus was her first king, founder of their civilized life and inventor of many useful
arts. At the same time he is also described as a diligent and skilful astronomers of
antiquity ... even more: Uranus was the father of Saturn and the Atlas, as the
former is the father of Jupiter.

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Further reading
Pultarova, Tereza (1 October 2021). "Stinky 'mushball' hailstones on Uranus may explain an
atmospheric anomaly there (and on Neptune, too)" ([Link]
ls-hailstones-stinky-gas-neptune-atmosphere-anomaly). [Link].
Miner, Ellis D. (1998). Uranus: The Planet, Rings and Satellites. New York: John Wiley and
Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-97398-0.
Gore, Rick (August 1986). "Uranus: Voyager Visits a Dark Planet". National Geographic.
Vol. 170, no. 2. pp. 178–194. ISSN 0027-9358 ([Link]
OCLC 643483454 ([Link]
Alexander, Arthur Francis O'Donel (1965). The Planet Uranus: A History of Observation,
Theory and Discovery ([Link] New York:
American Elsevier Publ. Comp.
Bode, Johann Elert (1784). Von Dem Neu Entdeckten Planeten ([Link]
ub_gb_ZqA5AAAAcAAJ) [From the Newly Discovered Planet] (in German). Berlin: Bey dem
Verfasser. Bibcode:[Link].....B ([Link]
k.....B). doi:10.3931/e-rara-1454 ([Link]

External links
Uranus ([Link] at European
Space Agency
Uranus ([Link] at NASA's Solar System
Exploration site
Uranus ([Link] at Jet Propulsion
Laboratory's planetary photojournal (photos)
Voyager at Uranus ([Link] Archived (http
s://[Link]/web/20150104173418/[Link]
anus) 4 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine (photos)
Uranian system montage ([Link] (photo)
Gray, Meghan; Merrifield, Michael (2010). "Uranus" ([Link]
[Link]). Sixty Symbols. Brady Haran for the University of Nottingham.
Interactive 3D gravity simulation of the Uranian system ([Link]
tem/uranus-and-its-rings-and-major-moons) Archived ([Link]
1221238/[Link] 11 June 2020 at the
Wayback Machine
"Uranus Rings photos" ([Link]
-150), James Webb Space Telescope, NASA, 18 December 2023, retrieved 19 December
 2023

Retrieved from "[Link]