The planet Uranus

Uranus planet

As we have seen in previous articles, our Solar system is composed of 8 planets and the planetoid Pluto that stopped being considered one more due to its size. We have already analyzed in depth Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter y Saturn, so we can talk about the planet Uranus. It is known as a characteristic blue dot and in this post you can learn everything about it.

Do you want to know more about the planet Uranus? Read on to discover all its secrets.

Characteristics of Uranus

uranus ring

It is considered the seventh planet in our solar system according to the proximity of the Sun. The closest is Mercury, while the furthest is Neptune. Furthermore, we can see that, of the massive planets in size (called gas giants), Uranus ranks third.

It has a diameter of 51.118 km and is located at a distance 20 times greater than that of our planet with respect to the Sun. Its name was given in honor of a Greek god called Uranus. Unlike other planets that are rocky or have a fairly chaotic structure, Uranus has a fairly uniform and simple surface. The greenish blue color is not a reflection of the inclination of the sun's rays. It is a composition of gases that makes it have that color.

To be able to see it from Earth, the night sky must be very dark, with the moon in a new phase (See the phases of the moon). If these conditions are met, with binoculars we can easily find that greenish blue dot.

The scientist who discovered this planet was William Herschel and he did so on March 13, 1781. At this time, many people were trying to know more about our sky and discover what was in outer space. To discover Uranus, Herschel used a telescope that he built himself. When he identified the blue-green dot in the sky, he reported that it was a comet. But after testing it, it was known that it was a planet.

It is ranked number six in the list of planets in the Solar System after Jupiter. Its orbit is quite large and it takes about 84 years to travel it than it would on Earth. That is, while our planet has circled the Sun 84 times, Uranus has made only one.

Composition:

size of jupiter relative to Earth

It is about four times the size of our planet and its density is only 1,29 grams per cubic centimeter. In its internal composition we find rock and ice materials of different types. The rocky core is quite abundant and the gases that are most abundant in its atmosphere are hydrogen and helium. These two gases are part of 15% of all planetary mass.

This is why it is called a gas giant. The inclination of its axis of rotation is almost 90 degrees with respect to its orbit. We remember that our planet's is 23 degrees. Uranus also has a ring like Saturn, although not the same size. The tilt of the axis also affects the rings and their satellites.

Due to such tilt of its axis, Uranus only has two seasons of the year. For 42 years the sun illuminates one pole of the planet and for the other 42 another pole. Being so far from the Sun, its average temperature is around -100 degrees.

It has a ring system that has nothing to do with those of Saturn and is also composed of dark particles (See What is dark matter?). As in science, many of the most important discoveries occur by chance and while looking for the best, the opposite. These rings were discovered in 1985 when the Voyager 2 space probe was looking to reach the planet Neptune. It is then that, by his passage, he could see the rings of Uranus.

With the most modern and developed technology it has been possible to know that one of its rings is blue and the other is red.

Uranus structure

uranus and its structure

The normal thing in a planet that has rings is that they are red. However, it is very lucky to find blue rings. In its atmosphere and interior It is made up of 85% hydrogen, 15% helium, and a little methane. This composition makes it have that greenish blue color.

There is a liquid ocean on this planet, although it has nothing to do with the one we have on Earth. Its atmosphere, composed of the aforementioned gases, liquefies as it descends until it envelops all the ice with water, ammonia and methane gas. We have said that the ocean is not like anything on Earth and it is because it is made up of water and ammonia. This makes it have a high electrical conductivity and is totally dangerous.

Unlike other gas giants such as Jupiter and Saturn, on Uranus, ice predominates over gases because of the far distance from the sun. The temperatures are much lower and this has led the scientific community to call them ice giants. Scientists have not been able to know the reason why its axis is so inclined, although it is thought that, during its formation, it could collide with another protoplanet or some large rock and that it took that axis as a result of the blow.

uranus planet

It has 27 satellites in which some are known more than others. Satellites are not large enough to have an atmosphere of their own. They were also discovered by the Voyager 2 probes. They have been called Titania and Oberon. Another one called Miranda is made up of water and dust ice and has the highest cliff in the entire Solar System. It is a height of more than 20 km. It is 10 times bigger than the Grand Canyon on our planet.

As you can see, Uranus is a planet that never ceases to amaze us and about which there is still much to know. It is possible that with the development of technology we can know more and more to unravel all its secrets.


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