Solar System: Planets: Uranus

Uranus was discovered on March 13, 1781, by William Herschel, a British astronomer. Uranus is a Jovian planet, meaning its composed mainly of gases. Some basic facts about Uranus:

• Diameter of 51118 km
• Density of about 1200 kg/cubic meter
• Average distance from the Sun is 2871 mil. km (19.2 AU)
• Orbiting time of 84 years
• Rotation period of 17.2 hours (determined by Voyager II in January of 1986)
• Rotational axis not perpendicular to the orbiting plane
• Temperature of about 58 degrees Kelvin
• Composition: small central rocky core, layer of water+ammonium ice, molecular hydrogen cloud layer
• Has a system of 11 rings, discovered in 1977 using the stellar occultation technique
• Has 15 icy moons
• Magnetic field, created by the electro-conducting ice layer
• Has no permanent cloud bands, no permanent storms, no internal heat source
• Largest magnetic axis tilt of all the Solar System planets: 59 degrees

One of Uranus' moons, Miranda, apparently was broken apart by some incident and then at a later time came back together into one piece and now is one whole moon again.

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