Planet

Uranus

Ice giant · A planet almost on its side

A blue-green ice giant with an extreme axial tilt.

Prepare an observation This stop on the Solar System trail

Schematic illustration: Uranus — Educational illustration · shapes and sizes are not to scale.

Equatorial diameter: 51 118 km
Mean orbital distance: 2867,0 million km
Orbital period around the Sun: ≈ 84 ans

What makes this world interesting

Its atmosphere contains hydrogen, helium and methane, among other gases. Its rings are faint. The term “ice giant” describes its overall composition and does not mean it is a solid ball of ice.

Observe or explore it

Binoculars make it easier to locate with an accurate chart. Its disc remains very small in a telescope. Naked-eye visibility requires exceptional conditions.

Connect the discoveries

The moons of Uranus Neptune

Sources and reference information

NASA Science — Uranus · NASA/NSSDCA — planetary data

Rounded educational data, sources consulted on 18 October 2026. Orbital distances are mean reference distances from the Sun, not current distances from Earth. Periods are expressed in Earth time. The planner provides date-specific positions for supported targets.

Understand its motion. Explore a simplified orbit in the laboratory →