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Why Is Uranus the Only Planet Without Interesting Features on It?
51–60 of 62 posts
Re: Why Is Uranus the Only Planet Without Interesting Features on It?
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because the planet's axis is tilted 97 degrees, the equator runs roughly vertically comparered to the plane of the solar system, just like the rings. Basically it's like a "normal" planet with "normal" rings and rotation but the whole thing turned on its side, rotation, equator, rings, and all. The equatorial plane is based on the rotation of the planet, not the relationship to the sun.
But the planet was turned on its side by a collision, right? How would the collision have also altered the rotation of whatever moon wandered past to Roche limit to later became the ring?
Perhaps the ring is the remains of the impactor. It struck Uranus (when the planet was rotating 'normally') on a trajectory aligned with Uranus's current, post impact, equatorial plane. Hence, the ring and the equatorial plane are similarly aligned.
Re: Why Is Uranus the Only Planet Without Interesting Features on It?
#53My 9th grade science teacher, Mr. Chew, told me that I would outgrow my juvenile sense of humor. I turn 40 in April. Mr. Chew, you were incorrect!
I have to stop reading the comments before the article ... it took 3 sec .. but now I can't finish it ;)
Re: Why Is Uranus the Only Planet Without Interesting Features on It?
#54My 9th grade science teacher, Mr. Chew, told me that I would outgrow my juvenile sense of humor. I turn 40 in April. Mr. Chew, you were incorrect!
Mr. Chew, told me that I would outgrow my juvenile sense of humor.
Aliens. You have interesting features on the other planets. Saturn has a humongous freaking hexagon on it, for crying out loud! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn%27s_hexagon They know we're inching our way towards spaceflight, so they've acted to delay our arrival by making Uranus as bland as possible.
(But seriously, it's never aliens. https://www.pbs.org/video/oumuamua-is-not-aliens-zjpppc/ )
Re: Why Is Uranus the Only Planet Without Interesting Features on It?
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
The article doesn't say it isn't interesting (nor does the title), and actually says it has nice swirling clouds now. (The comments here really are something else...)
Came for the puerile, stayed for the pedantry.
What of the puerile pedantry and the pedantic puerility?
Re: Why Is Uranus the Only Planet Without Interesting Features on It?
#56I would have thought interesting weather depends on Coriolis which a sideways planet can't have.
Re: Why Is Uranus the Only Planet Without Interesting Features on It?
#57My 9th grade science teacher, Mr. Chew, told me that I would outgrow my juvenile sense of humor. I turn 40 in April. Mr. Chew, you were incorrect!
It doesn't get much better trying to be serious about it > οὐρᾰνός • (ouranós) > 1. the vaulted sky 2. the region above this vault, the home of the gods 3. (philosophy) the universe 4. anything shaped like the sky: vaulted ceiling, tent looks pretty good > Etymology > Probably from an older ϝορσανός ( worsanós), which may be related to οὑρέω (houréō, “to urinate”), from Proto-Indo-European h₁worseye-, from h₁wers- (“…
> re-analized
I see what you did there.
I tried to find something relevant to link but Language Log doesn't seem to have discussed this particular planet.
Re: Why Is Uranus the Only Planet Without Interesting Features on It?
#58The fact that it is the only one that is relatively featureless makes it incredibly interesting. It's anything but boring.
It rains diamonds on it. That doesn't sound boring. :)
Re: Why Is Uranus the Only Planet Without Interesting Features on It?
#59If you're tired of the butt jokes or if this planet is just too mainstream for you, might I recommend another mysterious, ringed celestial body in the same general region i.e. a bajillion kilometers from nowhere?
Why not Chariklo! You almost never hear about this baby. I'd love to see a mission fly close enough to properly photograph it in my lifetime, but it's super rare to send something out that far and it would probably have to pass up on much more important science objectives in order to swing by such a tiny backwater dwarf planet. Supposedly the rings have been confirmed by stellar occultation, which is cool because it's super small for such clear rings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10199_Chariklo
I want to stand on the surface and look up for a while. See also Chiron and Haumea.
Re: Why Is Uranus the Only Planet Without Interesting Features on It?
#60Today Wikipedia has 82 articles with Uranus in the title. Something is interesting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Search&se...