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Uranus is the seventh planet from the
Sun, and it has at least 15 moons. Its axis is horizontal instead of
vertical, making its rings look odd, because they're on their side. Uranus
was not discovered until 1781 by William Hershel. At first he thought it
was a comet. He wrote letters and papers about it. This helped other
astronomers to find it. Hershel studied Uranus for many more months.
Finally, all the astronomers agreed Hershel had discovered the seventh
planet. Astronomers studied old records and fount that Uranus had been
seen twenty times before William Hershel's discovery. However, we say
William Hershel discovered it, because the others didn't know it was a
planet. Many people at first called the new object "Hershel's planet
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Quick
Facts
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| Length
of year: |
84
Earth years |
| Length
of day: |
17
1/4 hours |
| Diameter: |
32,000miles |
| Moons: |
at
least 15 |
| Distance
from Sun: |
1billion,
780million miles |
| Average
speed while orbiting the Sun: |
about
4 miles per hour |
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Temperature:
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-300°F
on top of clouds but may have a hot ocean under its clouds |
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