Uranus

The seventh (7th) planet from the sun, Uranus is an oddball. It’s the only giant planet whose equator is nearly at right angles to its orbit — it basically orbits on its side. Astronomers think the planet collided with some other planet-sized object long ago, causing the tilt. The tilt causes extreme seasons that last 20+ years, and the sun beats down on one pole or the other for 84 Earth-years. Uranus is about the same size as Neptune. Methane in the atmosphere gives Uranus its blue-green tint. It has numerous moons and faint rings.

    Discovery: 1781 by William Herschel (was thought previously to be a star)

    Named for: Personification of heaven in ancient myth

    Diameter: 31,763 miles (51,120 km)

    Orbit: 84 Earth years

    Day: 18 Earth hours