Uranus has a 21-year winter due to its tilted position on its side, which determines the hemisphere facing the sun. Its seasons change when the north and south poles slowly reverse.
Winter on Uranus lasts 21 years. Seasons are the result of how close a planet is to the sun as it rotates on its axis. Summer occurs when the planets tilt closest to the sun and winter comes at their farthest position from the sun. Uranus is different from other planets because instead of resting on an axis like a top, the planet is positioned on its side. Its seasons are determined by which hemisphere faces the sun. However, since Uranus doesn’t rotate on an axis, its seasons don’t change until the planet’s north and south poles slowly reverse. The process takes approximately 21 years to complete and lead to a new season.
Read more about Uranus:
Uranus was the first planet discovered with the use of a telescope, in 1781 by Sir William Herschel.
One year on Uranus, or the amount of time it takes to fully orbit the Sun, is roughly the equivalent of 84 Earth years.
Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system. Its temperatures are as cold as a negative 243 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 153 degrees Celsius).
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