Space Station Info :: Nine Planet Solar System :: History of Uranus :: Uranus Rings and Moons

Uranus Rings and Moons

Uranus has a pale planetary ring system, consist of dark particulate material up to 10 metres in diameter. Using the Kuiper Airborne Observatory this ring system was discovered in March 1977 by James L. Elliot, Edward W. Dunham, and Douglas J. Mink. The discovery was unexpected, they planned to use the occultation of a star by Uranus to study the planet's atmosphere, but when they analyzed their observations they found that the star had disappeared momentarily from view five times both before and after it disappeared behind the planet. Theycome into the conclusion that there must be a ring system around the planet; it was directly detected when the Voyager 2 space probe passed Uranus in 1986.

The Moons Of Uranus

Uranus has 27 known moons. Names for these moons are chosen from characters from the works of Shakespeare and Alexander Pope. The five main satellites are Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon.

Physical Characteristics
Discovery And Naming Of Uranus
Visibility And Appearance
Ring And Moons