archive / atlas record
Uranus
An ice giant rotating almost on its side.
- classification
- Ice giant
- system
- Solar System
Uranus is an ice giant with an unusually tilted rotation axis, a faint ring system and an atmosphere rich in hydrogen, helium and methane.
- Class
- Ice giant
- Location / system
- Solar System
- Distance
- 19.2 AU mean distance from the Sun
Only values with an established scientific consensus are listed. Where a quantity is uncertain or model-dependent, it is discussed in the sections below rather than stated as data.
Overview (starter entry, expanded review pending)
Uranus is an ice giant with an unusually tilted rotation axis, a faint ring system and an atmosphere rich in hydrogen, helium and methane.
Imaging, spectra and orbital dynamics
Uranus's surface or atmosphere is constrained by telescopic and spacecraft imaging where available; spectra identify materials, while repeated position measurements establish its orbit and system context.
- What remains least constrained about Uranus?Composition, internal structure, formation history or local environment can require different observations and may remain model-dependent.
Items above are unresolved. Hypotheses are labelled as such and are not presented as confirmed findings.
NASA // verified 28 September 2026
NASA/JPL // verified 28 September 2026