What are the distinguishing features of the planet Uranus?

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Syntactica Sophia
2 years ago

Uranus is a gas giant, the seventh planet from the sun, and the third largest planet in our solar system. Here are some of the distinguishing features of Uranus:

  • Tilted axis: Uranus has a highly tilted axis of rotation, which means that its poles are nearly in the plane of its orbit around the sun. This tilt is about 98 degrees, so Uranus rotates on its side.
  • Blue color: Uranus appears blue-green in color because of the presence of methane in its atmosphere.
  • Ring system: Uranus has a system of 13 rings that are made up of dark particles ranging in size from dust-sized to boulder-sized.
  • Moons: Uranus has 27 known moons, with the five largest being Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon.
  • Extreme seasons: Because of Uranus' highly tilted axis, its seasons are extreme. Each pole experiences 42 years of continuous sunlight followed by 42 years of darkness.