Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun is the 3rd largest and the 4th most massive planet in the Solar System. The planet’s name was derived from the Greek deity of the sky Uranus who is said to be the father of Kronos and grandfather of Zeus (Saturn and Jupiter respectively).

Although the planet is visible with the naked eye, it was never really accepted to be a planet by ancient observers due to its slow orbit and dimness. It was not until March 13, 1781 when Sir William Hershel announced its discovery and therefore expanding the boundaries of the solar system for the first time in history. Sir William Hershel’s discovery of Uranus was also accredited to be the first discovery of planet using a telescope.

Uranus is similar in composition to that of Neptune. Both of them differ to Jupiter and Saturn; the ‘larger gas giants’. Astronomers sometimes categorize them in a different category known as the “ice giants”. The atmosphere in Uranus, while similar to that of Jupiter and Saturn ( consisting primarily of helium and hydrogen ), contains “ice” proportions such as water, methane and ammonia with traces of hydrocarbons. It is the coldest atmosphere of a planet in the Solar System with a minimum temperature of -224°C. Uranus also contains a complex cloud structure which is recorded to be made up of water in the lowest layers of clouds while methane is said to make up the top most layers. On the other hand, the interior of the Uranus is said to be made up of rocks and ices.

The only planet in the Solar System to be named after a Greek God with the exception of Earth ( the others being named after Roman Gods ), Uranus has a magnetosphere, a ring system and numerous moons. The configuration system is thought to be unique as its line of rotation is tilted sideways; its north and south poles is positioned where most other planets would have their equators. The rings can be observed from Earth and appears to circle the planet resembling that of an archery target while the moons revolve akin the hands of a clock. Images from Voyager2 showed Uranus as a featureless planet in visible light without storms or cloud bands associated with other planets. However, other observers have noted the signs of recent increased weather activity and seasonal change as Uranus nears its equinox. The wind speed on Uranus can reach up to 900 km/h or 250 meters per second.

Uranus has a total of 27 known natural satellites. The names of these satellites were chosen and given based on Shakespeare and Alexander Pope’s works. The main satellites are known as Titania, Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel and Oberon. The satellite system of Uranus is deemed the least massive amongst the gas giants. Titania, the largest Uranian satellite has a radius of only 788.9 km which is half that of the Moon. Among all the satellites, Ariel is the youngest while Umbriel is the oldest.
The last known exploration of Uranus was in 1986 when NASA’s Voyager 2 visited the planet. It was also recorded as the only attempt to visit the planet from a short distance. Currently, no further visits are planned.

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