Uranus Description

The planet Uranus was discovered on March 13th, 1781 by German born British-astronomer William Herschel. Herschel found the new planet by using a telescope that he made himself. When he discovered the planet, he didn’t really know what he was looking at. He thought he might have discovered a nebular star or even a new comet. Later on he presented his findings to the Royal Society, where Astronomer Royal Nevil Maskelyne revealed that it actually had a planet like orbit, and did not seem to possess a tail like a comet would. It was the first new planet to be discovered by scientists. When it finally came time to name the planet, Herschel suggested naming the planet after his patron, King George III, in which it would have translated to Georgium Sidus, or George’s Star. Outside the limits of England, most people did not appreciate that suggestion. Other names suggested included his own last name, and ironically the name Neptune. In the end, Herman astronomer Johann Elert Bode named the planet after the ancient Greek god of the sky. Johann had the argument that since Saturn was the father of Jupiter, the new plant should be named for the father of Saturn. Although, Uranus is the only planet to be named after

The planet is made up of a fluid mix of water, methane, ammonia ices that take up over 80 percent of its mass. Which is where it gets is nickname Ice Giant. Uranus is quite unique among the other planets in the solar system. Uranus is tilted so far that it basically orbits the Sun on its side. This unusual tilt could’ve potentially be caused by a collision with a planet-sized celestial object, or several small bodies, recently after it was formed. Because of the extreme tilt, it causes the planet to endure extreme seasons which last roughly 20 years long. This means that for nearly a quarter of a Uranian year is equal to about 84