Facts About Uranus

Published September 17, 2026 · FactsSeeker

Uranus is an ice giant whose extreme tilt gives it some of the solar system’s most unusual seasons.

It rotates nearly on its side

Its spin axis is tilted by roughly ninety-eight degrees. This produces dramatically different seasonal lighting. [1]

Its interior contains substantial water, ammonia, and methane in hot, dense forms, rather than familiar surface ice. [1]

Atmospheric methane absorbs red light, helping give Uranus its blue-green appearance. [1]

Uranus has a system of dark, relatively narrow rings. [1]

An orbit around the Sun takes about eighty-four Earth years. [1]

William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781. It became the first planet discovered with a telescope. [1]

Uranus lies beyond Saturn and inside Neptune’s orbit. It belongs to the outer solar system. [1]

Uranus is much wider than our planet. Its size places it among the giant planets. [1]

Uranus spins faster than Earth despite its very long year. Rotation and orbital periods measure different motions. [1]

Many are named for characters in Shakespeare’s works. Others draw their names from Alexander Pope’s writing. [1]

The magnetic axis does not align closely with the rotation axis. The field is also offset from the planet’s center. [1]

Light needs about two hours and forty minutes to travel from the Sun to Uranus. That delay reflects its enormous distance. [1]

Explore the linked source for more detail and the context behind these facts.