Uranus: The Tilted Planet
Explanation:
This picture was snapped by the
Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986 - the only
spacecraft ever to visit Uranus.
Uranus is the third largest planet after
Jupiter and
Saturn.
Uranus has many moons and a ring system.
Uranus is composed mostly of liquid water, methane and ammonia,
surrounded by a thick gas atmosphere of mostly hydrogen and helium.
Uranus is peculiar in that its rotation axis is greatly tilted and
sometimes points near the sun. It remains an astronomical mystery why
Uranus' axis is so tilted. Uranus and Neptune are very similar.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
