Name: Five Facts About Uranus, the Tilted Planet
Uploaded: undefined
Duration: undefined

Nova

Uranus, despite not being the farthest, is the coldest planet in our solar system. What else makes the seventh planet from the Sun special?

Uranus is more than just the tilted planet in our solar system.

Five Facts About the Tilted Planet

Koch Foundation

NOVA Science Trust Logo

Uranus, despite not being the farthest, is the coldest planet in our solar system. What else makes the seventh planet from the Sun special?

Uranus is more than just the tilted planet in our solar system.

Five Facts About Uranus, the Tilted Planet

Space & Flight

Five Facts About the Sideways PlanetPublished: August 15, 2019Onscreen: Five facts about Uranus1. Uranus was first seen with the help of a telescope in 1781. But people with really sharp eyes can sometimes spot itDiameter: ~31,518 milesMass: ~14x Earth’s massDistance from the Sun: ~1.8 billion miles2. Uranus has the coldest temperatures of any planet in the solar system. There’s not enough heat to create the kinds of storms seen on Jupiter and Saturn.3. Uranus’ atmosphere is 2.3% methane—which absorbs red light and reflects blue, giving Uranus its color.4. Uranus’ rings orbit up and over the top of the planet—meaning the planet and its axis are tipped. It’s possible a large object knocked Uranus on its side late in its formation.5. Its unique tilt causes Uranus to have the most extreme seasons in the solar system. For example: During the 84 Earth years it takes to go around the sun, the planet’s north pole experiences 21 Earth-years of daytime in the summer and 21 Earth-years of nighttime in the winter.Learn more about Uranus. Stream "The Planets: Ice Worlds" online or on the PBS app.

United States

Northern Mariana Islands

Puerto Rico

American Samoa

Guam

U.S. Virgin Islands

U.S. Minor Outlying Islands

US & Territories

NOVA investigates the story of cannabis from the criminalization that has disproportionately harmed communities of color to the latest medical understanding of the plant. What risks does cannabis pose to the developing brain? How much do we know about its potential medical benefits? As cannabis becomes socially accepted, scientists are exploring its long-term health consequences. (Premiered September 29, 2021)Check out a previously recorded panel discussion and audience Q&amp;A featuring experts and producers from "The Cannabis Question" <a href="https://youtu.be/nSTT5RZ_hxA">here</a>.

As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA explores its little-known risks and benefits.

The Cannabis Question

A 2006 composite image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Telescope shows the chaos of baby stars in the Orion nebula some 1,500 light-years away. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI

With the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble era is gradually drawing to a close. Here are some highlights from the countless wonders Hubble has shown us during its 31 years in space.

10 spectacular Hubble Space Telescope images

A statue of Zheng He at the Sam Poo Kong Temple in Java, Indonesia. Image Credit: Budianto Santosa, Shutterstock

In the 1400s, Zheng He sailed thousands of miles around Asia and Africa in ships the size of soccer fields, spreading Chinese innovations like compasses and gunpowder in the process.

Five Facts About the Tilted Planet

Support Provided By

Explore More

Five Facts About Saturn, the Ringed Gas Giant Planet

The Planets

The Planets: Ice Worlds

Transcript

Credits

Support Provided By

Explore More

Five Facts About Saturn, the Ringed Gas Giant Planet

The Planets

The Planets: Ice Worlds