Uranus was discovered in 1781. The man, who found it, William Herschel, was not expecting to find a planet at all. He thought he was pointing his homemade telescope at a distant star.
How many moons does Uranus have?
Uranus has at least 17 moons – but there could be more to discover. They are all named after characters from English literature. The main ones are Oberon, Titania, Umbriel, Ariel
and Miranda. Ophelia and Cordelia are the closest.
Amazing! The poles on Uranus are warmer than the equator. Because Uranus is tilted on its side, the poles are the warmest places on the planet. Summer at the South Pole lasts 42 years!
Why is Uranus blue?
The bluish-green is the colour of methane, a stinky gas that makes up part of Uranus’s atmosphere. The other gases in the air there are hydrogen and helium – the gas we use to fill party balloons.
Is it true? Uranus was nearly called George.
Yes. When Herschel discovered the new planet, he wanted to name it after the English king at the time, George III. In the end, it was called Uranus, after the Greek god of the sky.
Picture Credit : Google