Atmosphere of Uranus

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/atmosphere-of-uranus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the atmospheric layers?Troposphere, stratosphere, and thermosphere/exosphere; notably lacks a mesosphere
2. Why is Uranus's sky the coldest in the solar system?Uranus is far from the Sun and has very little internal heat, so its temperatures drop to about 49 Kelvin (-235°C).
3. How fast do the winds on Uranus blow?The planet has zonal winds that can reach up to 240 meters per second, which is faster than a race car and even faster than the speed of sound on Earth.

Ice Giants: Planets like Uranus and Neptune, characterized by a higher proportion of 'ices' compared to gas giants.
Convection: The movement of heat within a fluid (like a planet's atmosphere or interior) through the circulation of its parts.
Photochemical Processes: Chemical reactions in the atmosphere triggered by energy from sunlight.