Exploration 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/exploration-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 planet classification?Ice Giant
2. What is the orbital inclination?Approximately 97.77 degrees, causing extreme axial tilt
3. What spacecraft visited Uranus and when?NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past Uranus on January 24, 1986.
4. How many new moons did Voyager 2 discover around Uranus?Voyager 2 found 11 new moons, bringing the total number of known moons to 15.

Ice Giant: A large planet characterized by a substantial proportion of 'ices' (volatile compounds like water, ammonia, methane) surrounding a rocky core.
Axial Tilt: The angle between a planet's rotational axis and its orbital plane, significantly influencing seasonal patterns.
Planetary Dynamo: The mechanism within a planet's core responsible for generating its magnetic field through the motion of electrically conductive fluids.
Methane Absorption Spectrum: The specific wavelengths of light absorbed by methane gas, which dictates the observed color of planets like Uranus and Neptune.