Uranus

Did You Know?
Uranus is often referred to as an “ice giant” planet. Like the other gas giants, it has a hydrogen upper layer, which has helium mixed in. Below that is an icy “mantle, which surrounds a rock and ice core. The upper atmosphere is made of water, ammonia and the methane ice crystals that give the planet its pale blue colour.
Uranus hits the coldest temperatures of any planet. With minimum atmospheric temperature of -224°C Uranus is nearly coldest planet in the solar system. While Neptune doesn’t get as cold as Uranus it is on average colder. The upper atmosphere of Uranus is covered by a methane haze which hides the storms that take place in the cloud decks.

Planet Profile
Mass (kg) 8.68 x 1025
Diameter (km) 51118
Mean density (kg/m3) 1290
Escape velocity (m/s) 21300
Average distance from Sun 19.19 AU (2,870,972,200 km)
Rotation period (length of day in Earth days) 0.72 (17.9 Earth hours)(retrograde)
Revolution period (length of year in Earth days) 30,685 (84 Earth years)
Obliquity (tilt of axis degrees) 97.9
Orbit inclination (degrees) 0.77
Mean temperature (K) 59
Atmospheric components
  • 83% hydrogen,
  • 15% helium,
  • 2% methane (at depth)
Rings
  • Uranus has a system of narrow, faint rings. Ring particles are dark, and could consist of rocky or carbonaceous material.