Mean distance from Sun: (1,784,860,000 miles) 2,872,460,000 km
Orbital period (year): 30,685 Earth days (just over 84 Earth
years) Rotation period (day): 17 hours 14 minutes - but the
atmosphere rotates faster Diameter at equator: (31,763 miles)
51,118 km Tilt of axis: 98 degrees Uranus (pronounced YOUR-uh-
nuss) is nearly twenty times as far from the Sun as Earth is. It
takes over 84 years to go once around the Sun. That is a long
year. You wouldn't have very many birthday parties there even if
you lived to be quite old. Uranus was the first planet
discovered with a telescope. William Herschel discovered Uranus
in 1781. Until then people thought that there were no more
planets after Saturn. Yet in good conditions, if you know where
to look, you can see Uranus without a telescope or binoculars.
This makes it the farthest planet visible with the unaided eye.
Uranus was almost named George. Herschel wanted to name his
planet after the king of England George III, who was supporting
him in his work. The Latin name