Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun, possesses a unique and puzzling characteristic—its axial tilt is tilted almost completely sideways. Unlike most planets that spin upright, Uranus rotates on its side, with its rotational axis nearly parallel to its orbital plane. This extreme tilt, approximately 98 degrees, causes the planet to appear to roll along its orbit rather than spin conventionally. This unusual orientation leads to some intriguing consequences, including extreme seasonal variatio

URANUS • Planetary Alignment Provides Rare Opportunity to Study Planet 23.4.25 VIDEO: This rendering demonstrates what is happening during a stellar occultation and illustrates an example of the light curve data graph recorded by scientists that enables them to gather atmospheric measurements, like temperature and pressure, from Uranus as the amount of starlight changes when the planet eclipses the star. [NASA/Langley Research Center Advanced Concepts Laboratory] • When a planet’s orbit brings i