Exciting news, everyone! Next week, there will be an incredible opportunity to catch a glimpse of Uranus as it makes its closest approach to Earth this year.
On 13 November, Uranus will reach opposition, coming within 2.78 billion kilometers (1.74 billion miles) from our planet. Despite the seemingly great distance, Uranus is actually four times wider than Earth, making it visible with a small amateur telescope or even binoculars. Larger telescopes will also be able to capture its view on other nights throughout the week, and with the right equipment, its rings may even be visible.
Billions of years ago, the view of Uranus from Earth would have been even more stunning. The planet likely formed around 4.5 billion years ago, when dust and gas clumped together due to gravity, creating a swirling collection of mostly fluids.
Simulations suggest that both Uranus and Neptune formed much closer to the Sun before gradually moving outwards to their current positions. As they did so, they likely caused objects to be flung in all directions as they passed through the Kuiper belt. This movement may have led to the formation of other ice giants, some of which may have left the solar system or remain undiscovered at its edge.
Uranus has certainly endured its share of challenges over time, potentially gaining its unusual tilt during a “colossal pounding” by a planet roughly twice as massive as Earth around 4 billion years ago. What a spectacle that must have been!
