Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and stands out in the solar system for its unique characteristics. Discovered in 1781 by William Herschel, Uranus was the first planet found with the aid of a telescope, expanding the known boundaries of the solar system at the time. It is notable for its blue-green color, a result of methane in its atmosphere, which absorbs red light and reflects blue light.

Uranus is a gas giant with a diameter of about 50,724 kilometers, making it the third-largest planet in the solar system by size and the fourth-largest by mass. One of Uranus’s most distinctive features is its extreme axial tilt of approximately 98 degrees, causing it to orbit the Sun on its side relative to the other planets. This unusual orientation results in extreme and variable seasons over its 84-Earth-year-long orbit. Uranus also has a faint ring system and 27 known moons, named after characters from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope. The only spacecraft visit to Uranus was made by Voyager 2 in 1986, providing most of the knowledge we have about the planet today.