When William Herschel first discovered Uranus with a telescope on March 13, 1781, this discovery opened the door to the solar system. Were the planets beyond the understanding with which the ancients operated? It turns out that there was a planet that spends human life (84 years) to go around the Sun! But for 200 years, Uranus remained just a point of light in a telescope, and we could observe only a few details.
As part of the celebration of the 235th anniversary of the discovery of Uranus, we are leaving some of the most breathtaking facts known about the blue planet. She was visited only once by Voyager-2 in 1986, but we have the opportunity to study the planet with the help of powerful modern telescopes, for example, such as Hubble. Just imagine that we can find out when we send the probe far beyond the limits of the solar system.
Uranus has a strange direction of rotation and tilt
The clouds at the south pole of Uranus are seen in a false color (to the right), compared to what you can see with your own eyes. Image taken by Voyager 2
Perhaps in the past, something big hit the planet, because Uranus does not rotate like other planets. Its magnetic north and yut differ from its polar north and south. Everyone says that this leads to strange seasonal effects. Imagine a world where, for example, the south pole is directed to the Sun, while the north pole is shrouded in darkness. Such a situation was observed by Voyager-2 during his visit in 1986.
Storms on Uranus happen in unforeseen time
Rare storms on Uranus received by the Keck II telescope on August 6, 2014.
When Uranus approached the Sun to its maximum distance in 2007, astronomers expected that more storms would occur on it, covering the normally calm atmosphere of the planet. To their happiness, the planet has extended its vigorous activity, at least until 2014. “Why we see these incredible storms at the moment, we can only guess,” said co-researcher Heidi Hammel from the Association of Universities for Astronomy Research, said in a statement. At the same time, astronomers say that to clarify the situation, you need to more explore the external atmosphere of the planet.
Rings of Uranus
The main rings of Uranus are shown together with an artificially-colored image of the planet. This image was taken with the Hubble Space Telescope in 1998.
The uranium rings were actually discovered with the sharp eyes of astronomers in 1977, who were watching the passage of the planet in front of a star (SAO 158687). They noted that the star's light flickers on and off, showing that something (rings) is blocking it when a planet passes by. Currently there are information about dozens of rings found around the planet. The data was obtained thanks to a combination of earth observations, a flyby of the Voyager-2 and the Hubble Space Telescope. But the circumstances of their education are still poorly understood.
Uranus is not the most distant planet, but the coldest
Interpretation of the Solar System (not to scale) in the work of the artist. Uranus is the second furthest planet from the sun.
Many schoolchildren know that Uranus is the planet of the outer part of the solar system. Next comes Neptune, which lies beyond its reach, and then there may be another supposed planet (it is called “planet nine”). Surprising for planetary scientists is the fact that it is Uranus, and not Neptune is the coldest planet. And all because of the fact that Uranus does not have an internal source of heat, which would complement the heat of the Sun.
One of the moons resembles an abstract painting
A close-up of Uranus Miranda's moon, made by Voyager 2 on January 24, 1986.
NASA once used the Shakespearean word “stormy” to describe Miranda’s geological history. She was discovered by American planetary astronomer Gerald Kuiper in 1948, but an amazing geological structure was noticed only in 1986 during the flight of Voyager. In 2008, NASA wrote that the moon in its history broke at least 5 times. As a result, a strange mixture of fresh regolith and an older breed was obtained.
