Uranus Facts: Size, Color, Orbit and What Makes It Unique

Uranus Facts: Size, Color, Orbit and What Makes It Unique

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and one of the solar system's two ice giants. Methane in its atmosphere absorbs red light, helping produce its blue-green appearance. The planet is unusually tilted, has a faint ring system and, according to NASA's updated moon inventory, 29 recognized moons as of August 2026.

A quick snapshot of the planet

Uranus has a diameter roughly four times Earth's and orbits the Sun at an average distance of about 19 astronomical units. A year there lasts about 84 Earth years, while a rotation takes approximately 17 hours. It was discovered in 1781 by William Herschel, making it the first planet identified with the help of a telescope. The name comes from the Greek deity of the sky. Its environment is extremely cold and windy, with no land surface on which a visitor could stand.

Why it appears to roll around the Sun

The planet's axis is tilted about 97.77 degrees relative to its orbit. That makes its rotation look almost sideways compared with most planets. During a Uranian year, one pole can point toward the Sun for an extended season while the other experiences a long period without direct sunlight. A past giant collision is one possible explanation, although researchers explore other histories. The large tilt is observed; the event that produced it is not directly known.

Rings and moons worth knowing

Uranus has 13 identified rings. They are much darker and harder to see than Saturn's bright rings, but images from spacecraft and modern telescopes reveal a structured system. NASA's moon page lists 29 recognized natural satellites as of August 2026, including Titania, Oberon, Umbriel, Ariel and Miranda. Older overview pages may still say 28 because discovery and recognition counts change as faint moons are confirmed. Rings consist of distributed particles; moons are distinct orbiting bodies.

Why scientists call Uranus an ice giant

The term reflects the planet's bulk composition and interior evolution, not a surface made of household ice. Beneath a hydrogen-, helium- and methane-rich atmosphere, increasing pressure produces exotic dense fluid layers containing water, ammonia and other compounds. Scientists use gravity, magnetic-field observations, atmospheric data and models to investigate that interior. Voyager 2 remains the only spacecraft to have flown past Uranus, in 1986. Much about the planet's deep structure and weather still invites future missions.

What Voyager 2 did and did not tell us

When Voyager 2 passed Uranus in 1986, it delivered the only close-up spacecraft reconnaissance of the planet. It revealed rings, moons, clouds and magnetic-field behavior that were difficult to investigate from Earth. The encounter was a flyby, not a decades-long orbit, so its view of weather and seasonal change represented a limited interval. Earth-based and space telescopes have since helped extend that record. This is why some familiar facts are settled—seventh planet, methane color, extreme tilt—while the deep interior and detailed atmospheric circulation remain active scientific questions. An accurate general guide should reflect both kinds of knowledge.

Key takeaway

This page is the overview. Use focused explainers for the exact Sun distance, ring names, moon inventory, gravity and sideways spin instead of repeating those full answers here.

Frequently asked questions

What color is Uranus?

It generally looks pale blue-green because methane absorbs part of the red portion of incoming sunlight.

How many moons does Uranus have?

NASA's August 2026 updated moon inventory lists 29 recognized moons.

Can you land on Uranus?

No solid surface exists like the ground of a rocky planet; pressure and temperature increase dramatically with depth.