Uranus in Opposition

Since its discovery in 1781, Uranus has remained shrouded in mystery. Barely visible as more than a pale dot in even the most powerful telescopes, it was not until 1986 that Voyager 2 sent back the first high resolution pictures of the sixth planet. To date, this is the only time humanity has paid a close visit to this world. Voyager 2’s images showed Uranus’ atmosphere to be rather bland, with no visible storm systems, in contrast to the other outer planets. We also got a closer look at some of the planet’s 27 small moons and their influence on its faint ring system.

Studies of Uranus have been important in the history of Astronomy, as Scottish mathematician Mary Somerville realised peculiarities in its path across the sky hinted at the presence of another planet.

Tonight, Uranus and Earth are at their closest, so it is at its brightest as a target for our powerful telescopes and might even be visible to the naked eye! As well as making our observations (weather dependent), tonight’s event will feature a talk about Uranus where one of our experienced astronomers will tell the story of the planet, its features and our best theories of how the whole planetary system (rings and all) came to orbit the Sun on its side.

The event will also include a tour of the facility, a hot drinks break and if the weather permits, the staff will be on hand to point out other fascinating sights in the night sky, such as constellations, nebulae and distant star clusters.