Uranus

Uranus (seembol: ) is the seivent planet frae the Sun. It haes the third-lairgest planetary radius an fowerth-lairgest planetary mass in the Solar Seestem. Uranus is seemilar in composeetion tae Neptune, an baith are o different chemical composeetion than the lairger gas giants Jupiter an Saturn. For this reason, astronomers whiles place them in a separate category cried "ice giants". Uranus's atmosphere, altho seemilar tae Jupiter's an Saturn's in its primary composeetion o hydrogen an helium, contains mair "ices" sic as watter, ammonie, an methane, alang wi traces o hydrocarbons.^[1] It is the cauldest planetary atmosphere in the Solar Seestem, wi a minimum temperatur o 49 K (−224.2 °C), an haes a complex, layered clood structur, wi watter thoucht tae mak up the lawest cloods, an methane the uppermost layer o cloods.^[1] In contrast, the interior o Uranus is mainly componed o ices an rock.^[2]

It is the anly planet whose name is derived frae a figure frae Greek mythology rather than Roman meethology lik the ither planets, frae the Latinized version o the Greek god o the sky, Ouranos. Lik the ither gas giants, Uranus haes a ring seestem, a magnetosphere, an numerous muins. The Uranian seestem heas a unique configuration amang the planets acause its axis o rotation is tiltit sideways, nearly intae the plane o its revolution aboot the Sun. Its north an sooth poles tharefore lie whaur maist ither planets hae thair equators.^[3] In 1986, images frae Voyager 2 shawed Uranus as a virtually featurless planet in veesible licht wioot the clood bands or storms associated wi the ither giants.^[3] Terrestrial observers hae seen signs o saisonal chynge an increased wather activity in recent years as Uranus approached its equinox. The wind speeds on Uranus can reach 250 meters per seicont (900 km/h, 560 mph).^[4]

References

↑ ^a ^b Lunine, Jonathan I. (September 1993). "The Atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 31: 217–263. Bibcode:1993ARA&A..31..217L. doi:10.1146/annurev.aa.31.090193.001245.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
↑ Podolak, M.; Weizman, A.; Marley, M. (December 1995). "Comparative models of Uranus and Neptune". Planetary and Space Science. 43 (12): 1517–1522. Bibcode:1995P&SS...43.1517P. doi:10.1016/0032-0633(95)00061-5.
↑ ^a ^b Smith, B. A.; Soderblom, L. A.; Beebe, A.; Bliss, D.; Boyce, J. M.; Brahic, A.; Briggs, G. A.; Brown, R. H.; Collins, S. A. (4 Julie 1986). "Voyager 2 in the Uranian System: Imaging Science Results". Science. 233 (4759): 43–64. Bibcode:1986Sci...233...43S. doi:10.1126/science.233.4759.43. PMID 17812889.
↑ Sromovsky, L. A.; Fry, P. M. (December 2005). "Dynamics of cloud features on Uranus". Icarus. 179 (2): 459–484. Bibcode:2005Icar..179..459S. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.07.022.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)