Media Information
 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection
Title:
Uranus: The Tilted Planet
Explanation:
Uranus is the third largest planet in our Solar System [ http://www.nineplan…] after Jupiter [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] and Saturn [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…http://www.solarvie…]. Uranus [ http://www.nineplan…] is composed mostly of rock and ices, but with a thick hydrogen [ http://chemlab.pc.m…] and helium [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] atmosphere. The blue hue of Uranus' atmosphere arises from the small amount of methane [ http://scifun.chem.…] which preferentially absorbs red light. This picture [ http://photojournal…] was snapped by the Voyager 2 spacecraft [ http://nssdc.gsfc.n…] in 1986 - the only spacecraft ever to visit Uranus. Uranus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] has many moons [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] and a ring system [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Uranus, like Venus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], has a rotation axis that is greatly tilted and sometimes points near the Sun. It remains an astronomical mystery why Uranus' axis [ http://adsabs.harva…] is so tilted. Uranus and Neptune [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] are quite similar: Uranus is slightly larger but less massive.
Credit and Copyright:
Voyager 2 Team [ http://vraptor.jpl.…], NASA [ http://www.nasa.gov/]
keyword:
Solar System
keyword:
Uranus
facet_when:
1986
facet_where:
Saturn
facet_where:
Jupiter
facet_where:
Venus
facet_where:
Uranus
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_what:
Voyager
facet_what:
Sun
facet_what:
Saturn
facet_what:
Jupiter
facet_what:
Voyager 2
facet_what:
Neptune
facet_what:
Venus
facet_what:
Uranus
facet_when_year:
1986
original url:
http://antwrp.gsfc.…
UID:
SPD-APOD-ap010826

Uranus: The Tilted Planet
Add To Workspace Export