Ten fun facts about Uranus

Fact 1
It has the third-largest planetary radius.

Fact 2
It is the only planet whose name is derived from a figure from Greek mythology rather than Roman mythology like the other planets, from the Latinized version of the Greek god of the sky, Ouranos.

Fact 3
Like the other giant planets, Uranus has a ring system, a magnetosphere, and numerous moons.

Fact 4
It also has the fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System.

Fact 5
Uranus is similar in composition to Neptune, and both are of different chemical composition than the larger gas giants Jupiter and Saturn.

Fact 6
Uranus’s atmosphere, although similar to Jupiter’s and Saturn’s in its primary composition of hydrogen and helium, contains more “ices” such as water, ammonia, and methane, along with traces of hydrocarbons.

Fact 7
Astronomers sometimes place Uranus and Neptune in a separate category called “ice giants”.

Fact 8
It is the coldest planetary atmosphere in the Solar System, with a minimum temperature of 49 K (−224.2 °C).

Fact 9
It has a complex, layered cloud structure, with water thought to make up the lowest clouds, and methane the uppermost layer of clouds.

Fact 10
In contrast, the interior of Uranus is mainly composed of ices and rock.