Surfing the Net with kids
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, the third-largest planet in the solar system, and has 27 known moons. Though visible to the naked eye, it was dismissed as a star until March 13, 1781, when Sir William Herschel, using a telescope, noticed that this particular "star" seemed different from the others.
Ask an Astronomer for Kids! Uranus coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_kids/AskKids/uranus.shtml
Caltech, in conjunction with NASA and Cool Cosmos, answers 13 frequently asked questions about Uranus. How big is the planet? Is it really tilted on its side? Why is Uranus blue? You can explore the rest of the universe (planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae, and black holes) by following the Ask an Astronomer link. Cool Cosmos is also a must-see. "Learn about infrared light, and open a door into the fantastic world of Infrared and Multiwavelength Astronomy."
NASA: Solar System Exploration: Uranus sse.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Uranus&;Display=Kids
"Uranus is very cold, windy and, like most of the other planets, poisonous to humans. It is a gas planet like Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune. There is nothing to land on. The air - atmosphere - gets thicker and thicker until it is squished into liquid. That is called pressure." NASA presents a kid's eye view with quick facts (11 Uranian rings, 84 Earth years in each Uranian year), a short article about the Voyager 2's 1986 Uranus flyby, and a Uranus calculator. How much would you weigh on Uranus? Because of the effects of gravity, you'd weigh about 11 percent less there than you do here on Earth.
NASA: Welcome to the Planets: Uranus http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/choices/uranus1.htm
Originally published as a CD-ROM, this site is a photo gallery of images from NASA's planetary explorations. You can start with any of the thumbnails and then follow the links. The annotations are short and include hyperlinks to the site's glossary. "This image reveals many broad lanes of dust surrounding the 9 main rings of Uranus. It was taken by Voyager 2 looking back toward the sun through the ring system. The dust is especially bright in this view, for the same reason that we can see dust on a windshield better when we are driving toward the sun."
All About Planet Uranus www.space.com/uranus/
"John Flamsteed first recorded the planet in 1690, but believed it was a star. Almost 100 years later in 1781, Sir William Herschel made the formal discovery. Although originally mistaking it for a comet, Herschel quickly corrected his error and established Uranus as a planet. After much debate about what to call it, Uranus was named after the Greek god of the sky." Space.com's coverage of Uranus includes a data sheet, an archive of featured stories, a photo gallery, and a movie short, "The Planet Hunter." 