Uranus - Seasons, South Pole, Rings

The Seasons of Uranus

Uranus' axis of rotation is tilted nearly 98° , almost perpendicular to its orbit. Consequently, the seasons and days on Uranus are strange. At times, the north pole points toward the Sun. At other times the south pole does.

Uranus Orbit

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The South Pole of Uranus

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NASA Press Release #P-29478 As Voyager 2 approached Uranus in January 1986, cameras recorded the planet as it would be seen by human eyes (left). After the image is enhanced, slight variations in the upper atmosphere cause concentric banding around the south pole (right).

The blue-green natural color of the planet is the color of the methane gas that comprises the atmosphere.

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99k GIF NASA Press Release #P-29478	As Voyager 2 approached Uranus in January 1986, cameras recorded the planet as it would be seen by human eyes (left). After the image is enhanced, slight variations in the upper atmosphere cause concentric banding around the south pole (right).
The blue-green natural color of the planet is the color of the methane gas that comprises the atmosphere.