Uranus Facts for Kids

A Picture of the Planet Uranus
  • Planet Name: Uranus
  • Type of Planet: Ice Giant
  • Solar System Region: Outer Solar System
  • Distance from the Sun: 1,708,770,778 miles (perihelion) to 1,864,113,576 miles (aphelion)
  • Time to Orbit Around the Sun: About 30,668 Earth days
  • Moons (natural satellites): 27
  • Total Surface Area: 3,133,400,000 square miles

21 Uranus Facts for Kids

  1. The planet Uranus formed about 4.5 billion years ago.
  2. The planet Uranus was first observed via a telescope on March 13th, 1781, by William Herschel.
  3. Uranus was the first planet to be discovered with the aid of a telescope.
  4. The planet Uranus is the seventh most distance planet from the Sun.
  5. Uranus is in the outer part of our Solar System.
  6. Uranus is an Ice Giant planet.
  7. Uranus is the third largest planet in our Solar System.
  8. Uranus is 400% the size of Earth.
  9. The radius of Uranus is 15,759 miles.
  10. Uranus’s perihelion (closest) distance to the Sun is 1.70 billion miles.
  11. Uranus’s aphelion (farthest) distance to the Sun is 1.86 billion miles.
  12. It takes Uranus 30,668 Earth days to complete an orbit around the Sun.
  13. Uranus has 27 known moons (natural satellites).
  14. The five major moons of Uranus are Ariel, Miranda, Oberon, Titania, and Umbriel.
  15. All the moons orbiting Uranus were named after characters from works created by Alexander Pope and William Shakespeare.
  16. The planet Uranus has 13 rings.
  17. Because Uranus is an ice giant, it’s virtually impossible for life to evolve as we know it.
  18. Uranus is the coldest planet in our Solar System, with temperatures as low as -370° Fahrenheit.
  19. In 1986, NASA’s Voyager 2 is the first and only spacecraft to visit the planet Uranus.
  20. Uranus has wind speeds that can exceed 560 miles per hour.
  21. Uranus rotates from east to west, however its rotation is unique in our Solar System because it rotates on its side.

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