Facts About Uranus: Size, Surface, Rings, and More

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, an ice giant famous for its blue-green color, faint rings, and unusual sideways rotation. In November 2026, Uranus is visible in the constellation Taurus and reaches opposition on November 25, making this a great month to observe it. The planet can be tricky to spot, but the free Sky Tonight app will help you locate it in your sky.

Contents

• Uranus Facts
  • More fun facts about Uranus
• Can You See Uranus Without a Telescope or Binoculars?
• When and Where Is Uranus Visible?
  • November 24, 2026: Moon near Uranus
  • November 25, 2026: Uranus at opposition
  • December 22, 2026: Moon near Uranus
• Who Discovered Uranus?
• How to Pronounce Uranus?
• How Big Is Uranus?
  • Uranus’ size
  • How many Earths can fit in Uranus?
• Uranus’ Rotation and Orbit
  • Why does Uranus spin on its side?
  • How long is a year on Uranus?
  • How long is a day on Uranus?
• How Far Away Is Uranus?
  • How far is Uranus from the Sun?
  • How far is Uranus from the Earth?
  • How long would it take to get to Uranus?
• Missions to Uranus
• What Is Uranus Made Of?
  • How old is Uranus?
  • Uranus’ composition and internal structure
  • Does Uranus have a surface?
  • Why is Uranus the coldest planet?
  • Uranus’ atmosphere
  • Uranus’ core
• Uranus’ Moons
  • How many moons does Uranus have?
  • What is Uranus’ largest moon?
• Does Uranus Have Rings?
  • How many rings does Uranus have?
  • What are Uranus’ rings made of?
• Frequently Asked Questions About Uranus
  • What color is Uranus?
  • How did Uranus get its name?
  • Is Uranus a gas giant?
  • Does it rain diamonds on Uranus?
• Uranus Facts: Key Takeaways
  • Explore the other Solar System planets
  • Learn more space facts

Uranus Facts

Uranus is an ice giant with a mean radius about four times Earth’s and an orbital period of about 84 Earth years.

• Planet type: ice giant
• Mean radius: 25,362 km (15,759 miles)
• Mass: 8.681 × 10^25 kg
• Aphelion: 3 billion km (1.9 billion miles)
• Perihelion: 2.73 billion km (1.7 billion miles)
• Average distance from the Earth: 2.9 billion km (1.8 billion miles)
• Minimum atmospheric temperature: −224°C (−371°F)
• Rotation period: about 17 hours 15 minutes
• Year length: 84.3 Earth years
• Age: about 4.5 billion years
• Named after: Greek god of the sky

More fun facts about Uranus

• Uranus practically rolls around the Sun on its side. Its rotation axis is tilted by almost 98°, giving it some of the most extreme seasons in the Solar System. At each pole, daylight lasts for roughly half a Uranian year — about 42 Earth years — followed by a similarly long period of darkness.
• Uranus is larger than Neptune but less massive. Although Uranus is slightly wider, Neptune contains more mass, making it significantly denser than its neighboring ice giant.
• Uranus is often mispronounced in English. There are videos on YouTube explaining how to pronounce it correctly!
• Uranus was the first planet found using a telescope. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were all bright enough to be easily seen with the naked eye.
• Uranus is the only planet whose English name comes from Greek mythology. The other planets, except Earth, have names from Roman mythology.

Can You See Uranus Without a Telescope or Binoculars?

Uranus is the farthest planet in the Solar System that can be observed without optics. However, it’s on the edge of naked-eye visibility, so it takes special preparation to spot the planet. First, find the darkest skies away from big cities and light pollution. Then, let your eyes adapt to darkness to increase the eye’s sensitivity. Stay away from bright lights, including phone screens, for at least 15–30 minutes. If you’re using Sky Tonight, switch to night vision mode by tapping the icon with stars and the crescent in the Quick Settings panel, which is at the bottom of the main screen.

The final step is to find Uranus in the sky. Sky Tonight users can easily do this by entering “Uranus” into the Search field (magnifying glass icon in the lower part of the main screen) and tapping the blue target icon opposite the planet’s name. Then, all you have to do is tap on the compass icon at the bottom of the screen or point your device at the sky. Follow the white arrow to learn where Uranus is in the actual night sky above you. The other way to locate the planet is to use sky charts from websites like theskylive.com.

When and Where Is Uranus Visible?

In November and December 2026, Uranus is visible in Taurus. It reaches opposition on November 25, when it will be near its brightest for the year and above the horizon for much of the night. Strong moonlight around opposition will make the faint planet harder to spot, so binoculars or a small telescope are recommended. In December, Uranus remains well placed for evening observations; choose a night when the Moon is below the horizon for a clearer view.

To pick the perfect observing night, use the Sky Tonight app. Find Uranus using Search and tap the corresponding result. In the Events tab, you’ll see the list of upcoming events related to the planet.

Note: The close approach and conjunction times and distances listed below are geocentric, meaning they are calculated as seen from Earth's center. The Moon's apparent position varies depending on your location, so the actual separation and best viewing time may differ. Check the tables for local viewing times and separations.

November 24, 2026: Moon near Uranus

• Close approach time: 17:14 UTC (12:14 PM EST)
• Close approach distance: 5°05′
• Conjunction time: 18:40 UTC (1:40 PM EST)
• Conjunction distance: 5°10′

Around November 24, the nearly fully illuminated Moon will pass close to Uranus (mag 5.6) in Taurus. Depending on your location, look during the night of November 23–24 or November 24–25.

The Moon will be easy to see with the naked eye, but spotting Uranus in its glare will be challenging. Use binoculars or a small telescope, and try keeping the bright lunar disk outside the field of view. The objects will be too far apart to fit together in most telescope fields.

The Pleiades star cluster (mag 1.6) and Aldebaran (mag 0.9) will also be nearby.

Visibility window: both objects are at least 10° above the horizon, and the Sun is below −12°. Bright moonlight may still make Uranus difficult to see. Best time: the moment when the objects appear closest together from the listed city within the visibility window, rounded to five-minute intervals. Moon altitude / Uranus altitude: each object’s height above the horizon at the listed best time. Separation: the angular distance between the objects as seen from the listed city at the best time.

November 25, 2026: Uranus at opposition

On November 25, Uranus will reach opposition, appearing opposite the Sun in Earth’s sky. The planet will rise around sunset, reach its highest point around midnight, and remain visible throughout the night.

At magnitude 5.6, Uranus will be at its brightest for the year. Under exceptionally dark skies, keen-eyed observers may glimpse it without optical aid, but binoculars or a telescope will provide a much better view. Look for the planet in Taurus, between the Pleiades (mag 1.6) and Aldebaran (mag 0.9).

December 22, 2026: Moon near Uranus

• Close approach time: 02:50 UTC (December 21, 9:50 PM EST)
• Close approach distance: 5°10′
• Conjunction time: 04:20 UTC (December 21, 11:20 PM EST)
• Conjunction distance: 5°15′

Around December 22, the waxing gibbous Moon will pass close to Uranus (mag 5.6) in Taurus. Depending on your location, the best viewing opportunity will fall during the night of December 21–22 or the evening of December 22.

Use binoculars or a small telescope to find Uranus. The bright Moon will make the planet harder to spot, so try placing the lunar disk just outside the field of view. Most telescopes will not show both objects together.

The Pleiades star cluster (mag 1.6) and Aldebaran (mag 0.9) will also be nearby.

Visibility window: both objects are at least 10° above the horizon, and the Sun is below −12°. Bright moonlight may still make Uranus difficult to see. Best time: the moment when the objects appear closest together from the listed city within the visibility window, rounded to five-minute intervals. Moon altitude / Uranus altitude: each object’s height above the horizon at the listed best time. Separation: the angular distance between the objects as seen from the listed city at the best time.

Who Discovered Uranus?

British astronomer William Herschel discovered Uranus on March 13, 1781, initially identifying it as a possible comet. Further observations showed that it was a planet, a conclusion Herschel accepted by 1783.

Uranus had been viewed multiple times over human history, but none of the observers recognized it as a planet before the 18th century. In 128 BC, the Greek astronomer Hipparchos might have recorded it as a star for his star catalog; centuries later, in 1690, English astronomer John Flamsteed made the same mistake and listed Uranus as 34 Tauri.

How to Pronounce Uranus?

Let’s face it — pronouncing Uranus often brings a smirk. Many people grew up learning the version that sounds like “your-anus”, which becomes particularly entertaining (or awkward) when discussing things like the methane-rich atmosphere of Uranus or how hot Uranus’ core gets. Admit it — you probably just smiled.

But if you’re aiming for scientific accuracy (and a straight face), NASA and most astronomers prefer “YOOR-un-us.” That’s the pronunciation you’ll typically hear in academic settings — though ironically, it sometimes draws even more attention because it’s not widely used outside scientific circles.

The name Uranus comes from Ouranos, the ancient Greek god of the sky and father of the Titans. The original Greek pronunciation sounds closer to “oo-rah-NOHSS” — quite different from either of the standard English versions.

How Big Is Uranus?

Uranus belongs to the giant planets. Imagine this: if the Earth were a large apple, Uranus would be the size of a basketball. However, the ice giant doesn’t look large from the Earth — Uranus’ apparent size varies from 3.3″ to 4.1″, while Mercury, the smallest planet, can appear to us from 4.5″ to 13″.

Uranus’ size

Uranus is the third-largest planet in the Solar System in radius and the fourth-largest in mass. The blue-green planet’s radius is just slightly larger than that of Neptune: 25,362 km (15,759 miles) vs. 24,622 km (15,299 miles), respectively.

How many Earths can fit in Uranus?

Uranus has a volume that is about 63 times the volume of the Earth which means that 63 Earths can fit inside Uranus. The ice giant is also four times wider than our planet. To better understand Uranus’ size, take a look at this image from NASA that shows the approximate sizes of the planets relative to each other.

Uranus’ Rotation and Orbit

Uranus takes about 84 Earth years to orbit the Sun and roughly 17 hours 15 minutes to rotate once. Its unusually tilted rotation axis makes it appear to spin on its side, producing extreme seasonal changes.

Why does Uranus spin on its side?

Uranus has an axial tilt of 97.77°, meaning its rotation axis lies nearly parallel to the plane of its orbit around the Sun. The ice giant has the most significant axial tilt among the Solar System planets; in comparison, its neighbor, Neptune has an axial tilt of 28.5°.

A consequence of this is that near the solstices, one pole of Uranus continuously faces the Sun, leading to a very unusual day-night cycle across the planet. At the poles, one will experience 42 Earth years of day followed by 42 years of night. Meanwhile, around equinoxes, the Sun faces the planet’s equator giving it an average day-night cycle similar to other planets.

We don’t know for sure the reason behind such an extreme axial tilt. Scientists suspect that about 3 to 4 billion years ago, one or multiple impacts tipped the ice giant on its side. This encounter might have also caused Uranus’ retrograde rotation — together with Venus, the blue-green planet rotates clockwise. Meanwhile, the other Solar System planets rotate “normally” — in a counterclockwise direction.

How long is a year on Uranus?

Uranus orbits the Sun every 84 Earth years. In 2033, the ice giant will complete its third orbit around the Sun since the moment of its discovery in 1781.

How long is a day on Uranus?

Uranus completes one rotation relative to distant stars — a sidereal day — in about 17 hours 14 minutes 52 seconds, according to a 2025 study. A solar day (the interval between successive noons) is almost the same length because Uranus moves only a tiny distance along its 84-year orbit during each rotation.

How Far Away Is Uranus?

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. Only Neptune is further (without taking into account the dwarf planet Pluto).

How far is Uranus from the Sun?

Uranus orbits at an average distance of about 2.9 billion km (1.8 billion miles) from the Sun, or approximately 19 astronomical units (AU). One AU is the average distance between Earth and the Sun. Uranus’ distance ranges from about 2.73 billion km at perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, to 3.00 billion km at aphelion, its farthest point. Take a look at our infographic to learn more about measuring distances in space.

How far is Uranus from the Earth?

The planets of the Solar System are in constant motion, so the distance between them is changing daily. At the closest, the Earth is 2.6 billion km (1.6 billion miles) from Uranus. At the farthest, the planets are separated by 3.2 billion km (1.98 billion miles).

How long would it take to get to Uranus?

NASA’s Voyager 2 took about eight and a half years to reach Uranus. It launched on August 20, 1977, and flew past the planet on January 24, 1986. Travel time for another mission would depend on its launch date, trajectory, and propulsion system.

Missions to Uranus

Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus. After almost a decade of traveling through space, in just six hours, NASA’s spacecraft gathered important information about the giant planet, its rings, and moons.

Uranus is also studied remotely using the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and ground-based observatories.

What Is Uranus Made Of?

Along with its neighbor Neptune, Uranus is one of two ice giants of the Solar System. In fact, Uranus is a ball of gas and ice.

How old is Uranus?

Uranus formed about 4.5 billion years ago when the rest of the Solar System took shape. The ices that formed Uranus and the other Jovian planets were abundant enough and allowed the giant planets to grow massive. Uranus most likely formed closer to the Sun and moved to the outer Solar System about 4 billion years ago, where it took its place as the seventh planet from the Sun.

Uranus’ composition and internal structure

Uranus is commonly modeled as having three main regions: a rocky core, a deep interior rich in water, ammonia, and methane, and an outer atmosphere dominated by hydrogen and helium. However, the boundaries and composition of these regions remain uncertain.

Does Uranus have a surface?

Uranus has no solid surface on which a spacecraft could land. Its gaseous atmosphere gradually transitions into denser fluids deeper inside the planet. Descending through these layers, a spacecraft would encounter increasingly extreme pressures and temperatures that would eventually destroy it.

Why is Uranus the coldest planet?

Uranus holds the record for the lowest temperature measured in a planet’s atmosphere: about −224°C (−371°F). That’s even colder than Neptune’s lowest recorded atmospheric temperatures, despite Neptune being farther from the Sun. However, Neptune is slightly colder on average, so calling Uranus the coldest planet depends on how temperature is measured.

One reason Uranus gets so cold is that it releases much less heat from its interior than Neptune. For decades, scientists thought Uranus released almost no heat from its interior. However, a 2025 NASA-supported study found that Uranus emits about 15% more thermal energy than it receives from the Sun. This means the planet still generates some internal heat, although much less than Neptune. Exactly why Uranus gets so cold remains a mystery.

Uranus’ atmosphere

Uranus has a thick atmosphere, composed primarily of hydrogen (83%) and helium (15%), with a smaller amount of methane (about 2.3%). Methane absorbs red light from the Sun, contributing to Uranus’ distinctive blue-green color. Unlike Earth, Uranus has no solid surface separating its atmosphere from the layers below: the gases gradually transition into denser fluids deep inside the planet.

Beneath its upper cloud layers, Uranus contains significant quantities of “ices” — they are not frozen in the Earth sense, but contain molecules like water (H₂O) and ammonia (NH₃) in high-pressure, high-temperature states. These compounds influence the physical and chemical properties of Uranus’ interior, distinguishing it from gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn.

Uranus’ core

Uranus is thought to contain a rocky central region rich in silicates and metals, but its size, boundaries, and physical state remain uncertain. Temperatures deep inside the planet may reach around 5,000°C (9,000°F), according to some models.

Uranus’ Moons

Like the other giant planets, Uranus has a moon system. Uranus’ named moons take their names from characters in works by William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.

How many moons does Uranus have?

Uranus has 29 known moons. They stand out as the least massive moon system among those of the giant planets. For example, the combined mass of the five major satellites (Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon) would be still less than half that of Triton, the largest moon of Neptune, alone. Even Titania, the largest Uranian moon, has a surface area only slightly larger than Australia.

The inner Uranian satellites consist of roughly half water ice and half rock. The composition of the outer ones remains unknown, but they might be captured asteroids.

What is Uranus’ largest moon?

The largest Uranian moon is called Titania. With a diameter of 1,578 km (981 miles), it’s about half the diameter of the Earth’s Moon and also the eighth largest moon in the Solar System. Like our Moon, Titania is tidally locked to its partner, permanently showing only one side to Uranus. Titania’s reddish surface is covered with canyons and scarps; numerous impact craters can reach up to 326 km (203 miles) in diameter.

Does Uranus Have Rings?

Uranian rings became the second planetary ring system to be discovered (after Saturn’s). Their discovery helped astronomers to realize that rings are a common feature for planets.

How many rings does Uranus have?

Uranus has 13 known rings. In order of increasing distance from the planet, the rings are called 1986U2R/ζ, 6, 5, 4, α, β, η, γ, δ, λ, ε, ν, and μ. Most of the inner rings are narrow and dark gray, while the two faint outer rings are reddish (ν) and blue (μ).

What are Uranus’ rings made of?

Uranus’ rings do not all have the same composition. A 2026 study found that the outer μ ring contains tiny water-ice grains, while the ν ring contains dusty material rich in organic compounds.

A 2016 study proposed that rings around Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune could contain debris from Pluto-like dwarf planets torn apart by the giant planets’ tidal forces. This remains one possible formation mechanism rather than a confirmed origin for all their rings.

Frequently Asked Questions About Uranus

These answers cover Uranus’ color, name, classification, and possible diamond rains.

What color is Uranus?

The methane in the Uranian atmosphere makes the planet look blue-green. The ice giant looks similar to Neptune; however, Uranus appears greener.

How did Uranus get its name?

Uranus was named after the ancient Greek god of the sky, following a suggestion by German astronomer Johann Elert Bode. William Herschel had originally proposed ‘George’s Star’ in honor of King George III.

Is Uranus a gas giant?

Uranus is an ice giant because it contains a larger proportion of heavier materials, including water, ammonia, and methane, than Jupiter and Saturn. These substances are called “ices,” but they are not ordinary frozen solids inside Uranus. Jupiter and Saturn are dominated by hydrogen and helium, so they’re called gas giants.

Does it rain diamonds on Uranus?

It might! Scientists believe that diamonds could form deep inside Uranus, where extreme pressure and heat can break down methane and other carbon-rich compounds. The released carbon could then crystallize into diamonds, which would slowly sink toward the planet’s center like an unusual kind of rain.

And this isn’t just science fiction! Researchers have created tiny diamonds in laboratory experiments that simulate conditions inside ice giants. However, diamond rain has never been directly observed on Uranus, so it remains a scientific hypothesis.

Uranus Facts: Key Takeaways

Uranus is one of the weirdest Solar System planets. It is known for its blue color, ring system, and unique axial tilt, which makes it appear like the planet is lying on its side. Uranus is also the dimmest planet you can see with the naked eye. Use Sky Tonight and Star Walk 2 to easily find it in the sky. If you liked this article, don’t hesitate to share it on social media. And don’t forget to watch our cartoon about Uranus!

Explore the other Solar System planets

We hope you enjoyed the article about Uranus! You can also check out our articles about the other planets in the Solar System:

• Mercury – the smallest and fastest planet;
• Venus – the Earth’s evil twin;
• Mars – our potential future home;
• Jupiter – the biggest planet;
• Saturn – the “Lord of the Rings” (and moons!);
• Neptune – the farthest planet;
• and Pluto, which was famously demoted from planet status (the decision has remained a topic of debate in the astronomical community since 2006).

Learn more space facts

Want to learn more facts about space? Then you’ll love our quiz about the “most-est” objects in the Solar System! Find out which of them is the hottest or fastest, and where the tallest mountain and deepest canyon are located.

Battle of the Solar System titans!🏆 Take this ultimate quiz to test your knowledge of the most remarkable objects in our Solar System. Giant planets, dwarfs, and moons – see who is the best at their own game. Ready to play?

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