How was Uranus discovered?
With the aid of a telescope in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel
Who is Uranus named for?
The Greek god of the sky
Describe Uranus' surface.
Uranus does not have a true surface
How fast can the winds blow on Uranus?
560 mph
How far is Uranus from the Sun?
1.8 billion miles
How many Earth years does it take for Uranus to make one revolution around the Sun?
84
If the Earth was the size of a nickel...
Uranus would be the size of a softball
Why is Uranus's environment is not conducive to life as we know it on earth?
The temperatures, pressures, and materials that make up Uranus are too extreme and volatile for organisms to develop
One day on Uranus is how many Earth hours?
about 17 hours
Where does Uranus gets its blue green color?
From the methane gas in the atmosphere
When Uranus orbits the Sun, it looks like a ...
ball rolling sideways
In what direction does Uranus spin?
Uranus spins sideways
Uranus' 90° tilt causes what on the planet?
Causes Uranus to have the most extreme weather seasons
Uranus has how many moons and what are they made of?
28 moons made of water, ice, and rock
How many sets of rings does Uranus have?
2
Describe Uranus' layers.
Most of Uranus's mass is made up of hot dense fluid of icy materials -- water, methane, and ammonia -- above a small rocky core
What would happen to a metal spacecraft attempting to fly into Uranus?
Extreme pressures and temperatures would destroy it
What direction do winds blow at Uranus' equator?
The winds blow in the reverse direction of the planet's rotation, which is counterclockwise
What color are Uranus' rings?
dark gray, reddish, and blue
Captured asteroids act as what for Uranus?
Moons
How many rings does Uranus have in total?
11
What does the 90° tilt cause?
It causes Uranus to have the most extreme weather seasons
Which direction does Uranus rotate?
In a clockwise direction, the same as Venus
How far does Uranus' magnetic field extend into space?
Millions of miles
Why does half of the planet Uranus experience 21 years of dark winter?
Because Uranus spins on its side, as Uranus revolves around the Sun, the Sun shines directly over each pole at different times