Uranus Is Tilted Almost Completely on Its Side
Uranus is tilted 97.77 degrees, making it the only planet whose equator is nearly at a right angle to its orbit.
Yes. NASA gives the tilt of Uranus as 97.77 degrees, which puts its equator nearly at a right angle to its orbit.
Explanation
Every planet is tilted to some degree, but Uranus is in a class of its own. NASA states that Uranus is the only planet whose equator is nearly at a right angle to its orbit, with a tilt of 97.77 degrees. A tilt of 90 degrees would mean a planet lying exactly on its side, and Uranus is tipped slightly beyond that. NASA says this may be the result of a collision with an Earth-sized object long ago. The word may matters, since it is offered as a possible explanation and not as a settled fact. The tilt has consequences. According to NASA, it causes Uranus to have the most extreme seasons in the solar system. Those seasons are long as well, because Uranus takes about 84 Earth years to orbit the Sun.
Source and verification
- Source
- NASA Tier A
- Last verified
- Confidence
- 95 out of 100
- Verified by
- Ali Ahmad Chaudhry