Uranus
The Tilted Ice Giant
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and is unique among the planets because it rotates on its side. This ice giant has a blue-green color due to methane in its atmosphere and was the first planet discovered using a telescope.
Key Facts About Uranus
- Diameter: 50,724 km (31,518 miles)
- Distance from Sun: 2.871 billion km (1.784 billion miles)
- Day length: 17.2 hours
- Year length: 84 Earth years
- Known Moons: 27
- Rings: 13 known rings
Extreme Axial Tilt
Uranus has an extreme axial tilt of 97.77 degrees, meaning it essentially orbits the Sun on its side. This may have been caused by a collision with an Earth-sized object early in the solar system's history. The result is extreme seasonal variations.
Blue-Green Color
Uranus appears blue-green because methane in its atmosphere absorbs red wavelengths of light and reflects blue light back into space. The planet's atmosphere is composed of hydrogen, helium, and methane.