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Uranus is the planet of freedom and revolutionary vision, the urge for change and the ability to visualize new possibilities. Uranus rules Aquarius, and is exalted in Scorpio. It is also associated with mental studies, electricity and astrology. Its position indicates the arena of originality and freedom from conventional thinking in your life.
The first planet found with the aid of a telescope, Uranus was discovered in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel. The seventh planet from the Sun is so distant that it takes 84 years to complete one orbit. Like Venus, Uranus rotates east to west. Uranus' rotation axis is tilted almost parallel to its orbital plane, so Uranus appears to be rotating on its side. This situation may be the result of a collision with a planet-sized body early in the planet's history, which apparently radically changed Uranus' rotation. Because of Uranus' unusual orientation, the planet experiences extreme variations in sunlight during each 20-year-long season
| Planet | Mass (10x24 kg) | Volume (10x10 km3 | Equatorial radius (km) | Polar radius (km) | Mean density (kg/m3) | Surface gravity (m/s2) | Surface acceleration (m/s2) | Escape velocity (km/s) |
| Uranus | 86.832 | 6,833 | 25,559 | 24,973 | 24,973 | 8.87 | 8.69 | 21.3 |
| Earth | 5.9736 | 108.321 | 6378.1 | 6356.8 | 5515 | 9.80 | 9.78 | 11.2 |
| Name | Orbital Period | Sidereal rotation |
| Uranus | 84 Years | 17,24 Hours |
Discoverer: William Herschel
Discovery Date: 13 March 1781
Distance from Earth
Minimum (10x6 km) 2581.9
Maximum (10x6 km) 3157.3
Apparent diameter from Earth
Maximum (seconds of arc) 4.1
Minimum (seconds of arc) 3.3
Mean values at opposition from Earth
Distance from Earth (10x6 km) 2719.99
Apparent diameter (seconds of arc) 3.9
Apparent visual magnitude 5.5
Maximum apparent visual magnitude 5.32
Surface Pressure: >>1000 bars
Temperature at 1 bar: 76 K (-197 C)
Temperature at 0.1 bar: 53 K (-220 C)
Density at 1 bar: 0.42 kg/m3
Wind speeds: 0-200 m/s
Scale height: 27.7 km
Mean molecular weight: 2.64 g/mole
Atmospheric composition (by volume, uncertainty in parentheses)
Major:
Molecular hydrogen (H2) - 82.5% (3.3%)
Helium (He) - 15.2% (3.3%)
Methane (CH4) - 2.3%
Minor (ppm):
Hydrogen Deuteride (HD) - 148
Aerosols: Ammonia ice, water ice, ammonia hydrosulfide, methane ice
Technical Information courtesy of Nasa
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