The planet, which was named after the Greek God of the sky, was discovered by famous astronomer William Herschel in 1781. Too dim for ancient scientists to see with the naked eye, it became the first planet discovered using a telescope. As a result, at first the great astronomer and his contemporaries considered Uranus to be a star or a comet.

This mysterious, beautiful, gaseous, blue-green ice giant, which has become known as the seventh planet from the Sun, is so far from its star that it takes 84 Earth years to complete one full orbit around it.

The gas and ice giants in our solar system are so far from Earth that they are extremely difficult to observe and study. The Voyager mission provided the single source of much, if not all, of the real raw data we have about the outer planets. Thus, these studies played an important role in how we understand these planets today.

10. A planet with a mind of its own
Like Venus, Uranus rotates in an east-west direction, which is the exact opposite of the direction of rotation of Earth and most other planets. A day on Uranus is quite short, lasting only 17 Earth hours and 14 Earth minutes.

The planet's spin axis is tilted at an angle almost parallel to its orbital plane, causing Uranus to appear as if it is spinning on its own side, like a piece of marble rolling across the floor. A "normal" planet is like a basketball spinning on your finger.

Planetary scientists speculate that this rotation anomaly could have resulted from a powerful collision between Uranus and another celestial body, such as an asteroid. Because of this extraordinary rotation, the seasons on Uranus last 21 years. This results in major differences in the amount of sunlight the planet receives at different times and in different regions over the course of a long year on Uranus.

9. Ring system of Uranus

In January 1986, the Voyager 2 space probe entered the upper clouds of Uranus to a depth of 81,500 km, transmitting back to Earth a wealth of data about the ice giant, including features of its magnetic field, surface and atmosphere. This historic NASA flight also produced thousands of digital photographs of the planet, its moons and rings.

Yes, that's right, his rings. Like all giants in the solar system, Uranus has rings. Several scientific instruments on the probe focused on the ring system, revealing fine details of the known rings and revealing two previously unknown rings for a total of 13.

The debris inside the rings ranges in size from dust-sized particles to solid objects the size of small boulders. There are two bright outer rings and 11 dimmer inner rings. The inner rings of Uranus were first discovered in 1977, while the outer two were discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope between 2003 and 2005.

Nine of the 13 rings were discovered by chance in 1977, when scientists observed a distant star passing behind the planet, revealing its rings in all their glory. In fact, the rings of Uranus exist as two different "sets of rings", or "ring systems", which is also quite unusual in our solar system.

8. Strange and wild weather on Uranus

On planet Earth, we enjoy rain in the form of liquid water. Sometimes, it may rain strange red organisms or even fish. But for the most part, rain on Earth is safe.
On Titan, methane falls onto the planet's surface. Venus experiences acid rain, which evaporates before it reaches the surface. But it's raining diamonds on Uranus. Hard diamonds.

Using the brightest X-ray source on the planet, scientists have finally obtained what they believe to be solid proof of this long-held scientific claim. Published in Nature Astronomy in 2017, the work involved research at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory that combined a high-power optical laser, the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), with an X-ray free electron laser , resulting in X-ray pulses lasting one million billionths of a second!

This makes it possible to carry out ultra-fast and extremely accurate process verification down to the atomic level. Using this setup, scientists recorded how tiny diamonds create shock waves passing through special plastic. This made it possible to look at the processes occurring in the atmospheres of planets, but on a much larger scale.

The plastic material, called polystyrene, is made of carbon and hydrogen (which are two elements that are abundant on Uranus), so the main focus of the experiment was to induce shock waves into the material. The theory suggested the presence of methane, consisting of one carbon atom and 4 hydrogen atoms, which is found in the atmosphere and forms carbon chains that ultimately turn into diamonds when temperature and pressure reach certain levels.

Diamonds are "pulled" more than 8,000 kilometers above the planet's surface, and eventually form into diamond rain. Dominic Kraus, lead author of the journal Nature Astronomy, said, "When I saw the results of this latest experiment, it was one of the best moments of my scientific career." In the scientific world, these tiny diamonds are known as nanodiamonds.

It is believed that nanodiamonds also rain on Neptune.

7. Uranus is the coldest place in the solar system... sometimes

With a minimum temperature of -224 degrees Celsius in the planet's atmosphere, Uranus' average distance from the Sun is 2.9 billion kilometers and is sometimes the coldest place in the solar system.

On the other hand, Neptune's average distance from the Sun is 4.5 billion kilometers, making them vying for the title of coldest planet. Which planet do you think is the coldest - Neptune, with an average temperature of -214 degrees Celsius, or Uranus?

It is logical to assume that this is Neptune, because it is the planet farthest from the Sun. But that's not true. Uranus has surpassed Neptune in its bid to become the coldest body in the solar system.

There are currently two theories about why Uranus is sometimes the coldest planet. First, it appears that Uranus was knocked onto its side in an early collision, which may have caused heat to escape from the planet's core into space. According to the second theory, the living atmosphere of Uranus during its equinox period could lose heat.

6. Why is Uranus blue-green?

As one of two ice giants in the outer solar system (Neptune is the other), Uranus has an atmosphere very similar to that of its gaseous brother Jupiter—composed mostly of hydrogen and helium with some methane and trace amounts of ammonia and water. It is the methane in the atmosphere that gives the planet its beautiful blue-green hue.

By absorbing the red part of the spectrum of sunlight, methane provokes the blue-green color of the ice monster. Most of Uranus's mass—up to 80 percent, if not more—is held tightly in a liquid core, which consists mainly of frozen elements and compounds such as ammonia, water ice and methane.

5. Uranus May Hide Two Moons

When Voyager 2 orbited Uranus in 1986, it discovered 10 new moons, bringing the total to 27. However, if planetary scientists at the University of Idaho are correct, the probe's historic mission missed a couple of moons.

Looking at Voyager data, planetary scientists Rob Chancia and Matthew Hedman found that there were ripples in two rings surrounding the planet, called Alpha and Beta. Previously, the appearance of similar wavy patterns was caused by the gravity of two passing moons, Ophelia and Cordelia, as well as a couple of dozen spheres and balls approaching the ice giant.

The rings around Uranus are thought to have been formed by the gravity of these small bodies compressed around it, causing particles of cosmic dust and other debris to form the thin rings we see today. The latest discovery of these types of ripples suggests the existence of two unknown satellites.

If these moons exist, Chancia believes they are very small, about 4.0–13.7 km in diameter. Therefore, Voyager's camera either could not detect them, or they appeared as background noise in the images.

Mark Showalter, the pride of the SETI project, said: “The new discoveries demonstrate that Uranus has a young and dynamic system of rings and moons. In other words, we are confident that Uranus will continue to surprise us.”

4. The mysterious magnetic field of Uranus

This is weird. The planet's magnetic poles are not even close to its geographic poles. Uranus' magnetic field is offset laterally by 59 degrees from the planet's rotation axis and is offset so that it does not pass through the planet's center.

By comparison, the Earth's magnetic field is tilted only 11 degrees and is similar to a bar magnet that has a north pole and a south pole, and is called a dipole field. Uranus' magnetic field is much more complex. It has a dipole component and another part with four magnetic poles.

Given all these different magnetic poles and the planet's high tilt angle, it's not surprising that the strength of the magnetic field varies greatly from place to place. For example, in the Southern Hemisphere, the magnetic field of Uranus is only one third equal to the magnetic field of the Earth. However, in the northern hemisphere, Uranus' magnetic field is almost four times that of our planet.

Scientists believe that the planet's magnetic field is enhanced by a large, salty body of water on Uranus. They used to think that Uranus's magnetic field tilt of 59 degrees and its rotation axis tilt of 98 degrees provide the planet with a powerful magnetosphere. But they turned out to be wrong.

The magnetosphere of Uranus is quite ordinary and is no different from the magnetosphere of other planets. Scientists are still trying to figure out why this happens. They discovered that Uranus has auroras similar to the Northern and Southern Lights here on Earth.

3. NASA's Voyager 2 probe and Uranus

Launched on August 20, 1977, NASA's Voyager 2 space probe became the first and so far only NASA spacecraft to fly around Uranus and send back to Earth the first close-up photographs of the large blue sphere.

During its long mission, Voyager 2 successfully completed flybys of all four so-called "gas giants", starting with Jupiter in July 1979, then flying by Saturn in August 1981, Uranus in January 1986 and Neptune in August 1989.

Voyager 1 left our solar system and entered interstellar space in 2012. Voyager 2 is still in the heliosheath, the outer region of the sun's globe (also known as the heliosphere). Eventually, Voyager 2 will also fly into interstellar space.

2. Uranium stinks

A recent study shows that the clouds in Uranus's upper atmosphere are composed primarily of hydrogen sulfide, which is a chemical compound that gives off a rotten egg smell.

For a long time, scientists have been interested in the composition of these clouds, especially whether they consist mainly of hydrogen sulfide ice or ammonia ice like those on Saturn and Jupiter.

Because Uranus is so far away, studying this ice giant in detail is difficult at best. Moreover, with data from Voyager 2's only flight in January 1986, these questions are difficult to answer.

Scientists used the Near-Infrared Integral Field Spectrometer in Hawaii to study sunlight reflecting off the atmosphere just above the cloud tops on Uranus. They found traces of hydrogen sulfide. Leigh Fletcher, co-author of the study, said: "Only a small amount remains above the clouds as saturated vapor, which is why it is so difficult to detect traces of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide above Uranus' cloud layers. With Gemini's unique capabilities, we finally got lucky."

Scientists suggest that the clouds of Uranus and Neptune are very similar. They are likely different from the clouds of Saturn and Jupiter due to the fact that these planets are much further from the Sun than the two gas giants. Patrick Irwin, lead author of the study, said: “If unfortunate humans ever descend through the clouds of Uranus, they will be greeted by a very unpleasant and foul-smelling environment.

1. Uranus is turned to the side due to many impacts

By most accounts, Uranus is an "oddball" in the solar system and is often referred to as a "tilted planet." Researchers say the recent discoveries shed light on the ice giant's ancient history, including the formation and evolution of all the giant planets in our solar system.

In 2011, then-leader of the study Alessandro Morbidelli said: “The standard theory of planet formation suggests that Uranus, Neptune and the cores of Jupiter and Saturn form by the accretion of small objects into a protoplanetary disk. They should not have suffered from violent clashes."

He continued: "The fact that Uranus survived the impact at least twice suggests that the giant planets formed through violent impacts, so the standard theory should be reconsidered."

Uranus is really strange. Its rotation axis is located at a strange angle of 98 degrees. A giant ball of icy gas spins on its side. The axial tilt of any other planet in the solar system doesn't even come close to 98 degrees.

For example, the Earth's axial tilt is 23 degrees, while the giant Jupiter is tilted only 3 degrees. For a long time, scientists believed that such a large angle of inclination appeared as a result of one strong impact. But after running a series of complex computer simulations, they may have found a better explanation.

They started the simulation using a model in which only one impact occurred during the very early days of the solar system. The analysis showed that in this case, the skewed plane of the equator will be reflected in the satellites, as a result of which they will also tilt. So far the scientists had been right, but they were in for a surprise.

In the One Impact model, the satellites would orbit in the opposite direction from the direction in which they orbit today. Not good. So the researchers changed the program's parameters to simulate two-body impacts. They found that at least two smaller impacts explain the motion of the moons as they exist today. Obviously, additional research will be required to verify these results.

Researchers at the University of Manchester in the US have discovered that uranium can be used to perform reactions that could provide solutions to today's energy and waste management problems and, surprisingly, help develop a new generation of medicines. The team, led by Professor Steve Lidle, head of Inorganic Chemistry in Manchester, detailed their breakthrough discovery in the journal Nature Communications .

The discovery itself was accidental and appeared as part of a research program that has been going on for more than 10 years. Previously, scientists believed that only transition metals were capable of such reactions. “The unique thing about uranium is that it is at a crossroads in the periodic table and sometimes behaves like lanthanides (row 14) and sometimes like transition metals,” explains Lidle.

From the point of view of industrial chemistry, this is a great success: surprisingly, humanity has more uranium than many transition metals - their content in the rock is low, and the extraction technology is very difficult. Lidl notes that literally hundreds of tons of depleted uranium are currently sitting idle in warehouses around the world - the metal is a by-product of the production of enriched uranium. The scientist believes that good things should not be wasted and that considerable benefits can be derived from them.

Uranium in industry

For decades, humanity has used uranium in nuclear power and as a filling material for nuclear weapons. The abundance of depleted uranium has become a problem over time, as measures to dispose of waste and isolate hazardous radioactive materials are not always effective enough. Lidl's team says this problem will soon come to an end, as the researchers' discovery should reduce the amount of nuclear waste to an acceptable minimum.

“We are confident that understanding the principles of properly using radioactive metals will allow us to come up with other effective ways to dispose of nuclear waste, so that ultimately it will no longer pose a threat,” Steve explains in an interview with Futurism.

In an official press release from the University of Manchester, Liddle explained that their discovery could lead to the development of new medicines and plastics that are biodegradable - which would also help rid the Earth of waste. Currently, plastic is one of the most serious elements of environmental pollution, since it decomposes very slowly in natural conditions. Experts estimate the total amount of plastic used in global industry at 297.5 million tons.

Uranium and materials of the future

Scientists note that, among other things, uranium also has interesting magnetic properties and could become a potential component for “materials of the future.” If uranium can indeed be used as a source of “peaceful” and safe energy, this will make industrial production cycles less wasteful and energy-intensive.

Space has attracted and beckoned man since ancient times. People studied the planets of the solar system and found out a lot of different information about celestial bodies. Below are the most interesting facts about Uranus:

1. Uranus is a planet of considerable size. Its volume is 62 times greater than the volume of our native Earth. For comparison: if the Earth were the size of a regular coin, then Uranus would be the size of a soccer ball. But in terms of mass it is only 14 times greater, because the density of Uranus is low.
2. A day on Uranus is slightly shorter than on Earth: it takes 17 hours to make a revolution around its axis, and a year on this planet is 84 Earth years, which is exactly the time it takes Uranus to pass around the Sun star. Interesting information: the axis of the blue-green planet is tilted by almost 100 degrees! Therefore, when Uranus rotates, it resembles a ball rolling in a circle.

   

3. Uranus can be observed from Earth even with the naked eye. To do this, you need the sky to be very dark and clear.

   

4. The planet was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel. Until this time, many astronomers had mistaken Uranus for a star, but only Herschel, having invented his own telescope, observed Uranus through it and determined that it was a planet. An interesting fact is that Uranus is the first planet to be discovered in modern times.

   

5. The spacecraft has visited the vicinity of Uranus only once, and that was in 1986. NASA's Voyager 2 made a very close approach to the planet: about 81.5 thousand km.

   

6. The final name of Uranus was given by the German astronomer Johann Bode.. He explained his choice by saying that the discovered planet should be named after the father of Saturn, because Saturn is the father of Jupiter. Thus, Uranus was given the name of the ancient Greek God.

   

7. The planet can experience very strong winds. Thus, in mid-latitudes, wind speeds can reach 150 m/s, and on the rings even 250 m/s! And in 2004, huge weather changes were discovered on the planet: the wind reached unprecedented speeds and thunderstorms were constantly observed.

   

8. The surface of Uranus is a very beautiful color: iridescent blue-green. Scientists explain this shade by the presence of methane in the planet’s atmosphere.

   

9. Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system. It is known that Uranus emits a tiny fraction of the thermal energy received from the Sun, while many other planets emit almost 2.5 times more heat! Now many modern astronomers are trying to find a solution to this phenomenon.

   

10. Uranus has a fairly large number of satellites: it has 27 of them. Many have very beautiful and interesting names; they were chosen from the works of Shakespeare and Pope. Many astronomers suggest that satellites were formed from particles of the material from which the planet arose.

    

11. It is very difficult to determine the temperature in the very depths of Uranus, but if we assume that it differs little from the temperature in the depths of other planets, then the existence of liquid water on the planet, and therefore some forms of life, becomes possible.

    

12. Uranus has 13 rings, scientists assume that they are quite young, since they are dark in color and do not have large sizes and width.

    

13. The next flight to Uranus is planned for 2021 as part of a mission that will explore the outer Solar System. Scientists are studying the unique composition of the planet, as well as the celestial bodies that surround it.

    

14. After its discovery, Uranus began to be used in world culture. Thus, its name is mentioned in books by various writers and in feature films. Uranus also appears in various comics and cartoons.

    

15. Astrologers consider Uranus to be the planet that rules the zodiac sign Aquarius.

    

Do you know how old Uranus is? This is an interesting question because we actually want to know how long ago the solar system was formed.

The clue to age

We know that the planets took about 4 to 5 billion years to form and are the same age as the Sun. And also that they all have a common origin with the Sun. In addition to this information, scientists have other clues to help pinpoint the age.

First key to the clue to age - the Sun. The Sun was the main celestial body that formed from a nebula and formed the basis of the Solar System.

Scientists have a theory that the Sun, having gained mass and started a nuclear fusion reaction in the core, stimulated the formation of planets from gases and cosmic dust in the protosolar nebula.

So, knowing that the Sun and Earth have been around for 4.5 billion years, we can assume that the rest of the solar system is the same age.

The second key The clue to age is its composition.

Uranus is one of the “ice giants” of the outer solar system. Unlike the inner planets, which are rocky, the outer planets are composed primarily of gases such as hydrogen or helium. And the largest one, Jupiter, is sometimes even called a failed star. Essentially, they gained enough mass to attract most of the remaining gases and dust from the protosolar nebula. However, they will never gain enough mass to start a nuclear fusion reaction.

The Last Big Key, to the clue, this is the number of his satellites.

The moons of Uranus, like others in the solar system, are fragments of the original material from which the planets were formed.

In our case, the moons are made of the same materials as other moons in the solar system. Apparently, after formation, it began to gain mass due to gas, while the satellites remained virtually unconfirmed changes.