How does Uranus compare to Earth?
Uranus is very different from earth. It’s a gas giant, meaning its surface is gas, so you couldn’t even stand on it. Being so much further from the sun, Uranus is much, much colder than earth. Also, Uranus’ odd rotation in relation to the sun gives it very different seasons. The sun would shine on parts of Uranus for as long as 42 years and then it would be dark for 42 years. How do we know about Uranus? Uranus was first called a planet by British astronomer William Herschel. Herschel discovered Uranus by using a telescope. Prior to Herschel, Uranus was thought to be a star. Since then the only one space probe that has been sent to Uranus was the Voyager 2 in 1986. Voyager 2 brought us some detailed pictures of Uranus and its moons and rings. Fun Fact: Uranus is the only planet named after a Greek god rather than a Roman god. For more information on the Solar system: • The Solar System • The Sun • Mercury • Venus • Earth • Mars • Jupiter • Saturn • Uranus • Neptune • Pluto Back to Kids
