Uranus - NASA Science
WEBOnly one spacecraft has explored planet Uranus. In January 1986, Voyager 2 made a close approach to Uranus, snapping images of the planet and some its moons. A new mission to Uranus was one of the highest priority objectives outlined in the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032.
Uranus: Exploration - Science@NASA
WEBMarch 13, 1781: British astronomer William Herschel discovers Uranus – the first new planet discovered since ancient times – while searching for faint stars. 1787-1851: Four Uranian moons are discovered and named Titania, Oberon, Ariel and Umbriel. 1948: Another moon, Miranda, is discovered.
Uranus Facts - Science@NASA
WEBIt was discovered in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel, although he originally thought it was either a comet or a star. It was two years later that the object was universally accepted as a new planet, in part because of observations by astronomer Johann Elert Bode.
240 Years Ago: Astronomer William Herschel Identifies Uranus as …
WEBMar 15, 2021 · It wasn’t until March 10, 1977, just six months before the Voyager spacecraft left Earth on their epic voyages of exploration of the outer planets, that astronomers discovered five faint rings orbiting Uranus.
Neptune - NASA Science
WEBThe planet’s blue color comes from methane in its atmosphere, which absorbs red wavelengths of light, but allows blue ones to be reflected back into space – very much like its neighbor, Uranus. Neptune was the first planet located using math.
Miranda - NASA Science
WEBMiranda was discovered in telescopic photos of the Uranian system by Gerard P. Kuiper on Feb. 16, 1948 at the McDonald Observatory in western Texas. It was the last moon of Uranus to be discovered prior to Voyager 2's visit in 1986.
Voyager 2 - NASA Science
WEBThe first human-made object to fly past Uranus, Voyager 2's long-range observations of the planet began Nov. 4, 1985, when signals took approximately 2.5 hours to reach Earth. Light conditions were 400 times less than terrestrial conditions.
Uranus Moons: Facts - NASA Science
WEBOberon and Titania are the largest Uranian moons, and were the first to be discovered – by William Herschel in 1787. William Lassell, who had been the first to see a moon orbiting Neptune, discovered the next two, Ariel and Umbriel. Nearly a century passed before Gerard Kuiper found Miranda in 1948.
Titania - NASA Science
WEBTitania is Uranus' largest moon. Images taken by Voyager 2 almost 200 years after Titania's discovery revealed signs that the moon was geologically active. A prominent system of fault valleys, some nearly 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) long, is …
Oberon - NASA Science
WEBOberon is the second largest moon of Uranus. Discovered in 1787, little was known about this moon until Voyager 2 passed it during its flyby of Uranus in January 1986. Oberon is heavily cratered―similar to Umbriel―especially when compared to three other moons of Uranus: Ariel, Titania and Miranda.