URANUS
Discovered
in 1781, was the first one of the planets that was not known by the ancient
civilizations. It is blue green because its clouds of methane gas absorb
all the other colors and reflect only blue-green.
1.
tilts over so far on its axis that it rotates on
its side
2.
Because of this, its poles are sometimes pointed
almost directly at the Sun
3.
one of the smaller gas giants in our solar system,
but it is still large enough to hold 64 planets the size of Earth
4.
atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium, and
methane
5.
temperature in the upper atmosphere is very cold
6.
cold methane gas is what gives Uranus its
blue-green color
7.
18 known moons – Some less than 90 miles wide and
black as coal
8.
eleven known rings - First discovered during a
Voyager mission in 1977
9.
rings made up of large ice boulders, dust and rock