| URANUS |
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| Uranus, the Magician according to Holst. The proper pronunciation, by the way, is not "your anus" but closer to YOORunuss, emphasis on the first syllable. In mythology, Uranus was the earliest "supreme" god and the son of Gaia (the earth) and Chronos (time.) The name was bestowed upon the planet many years after it's discovery in 1781. Before that time, it had been thought to be a star. Uranus' rotation is very unusual. It spins almost completely sideway, with it's pole toward the sun. You would think that the poles would be the hottest regions on the planet, but you'd be wrong. Uranus is warmest at the equator. No one is sure why, yet. Another curious thing about Uranus is that its magnetic field is not centered on the planet's center but rather at a 60 degree angle with respect to the planet's rotation. A very odd old chap indeed, portrayed here by the dashing and quite affable skiesofchaos of deviantart. Additional imagery from NASA. |