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Composition of Uranus

The Layers

Uranus is composed of three general layers.

The inner rocky core.
The icy mantle
The Atmosphere

The Core

Uranus has a rocky core that is about 10,500 miles (17,000 km) in diameter and is about half the mass of Earth. Near the core of Uranus, the temperatures can get up to 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Although this may seem hot, it is relatively cold, in fact, according to Dr. Simon at NASA Goddard, Uranus is the only planet to give off less heat than it receives from the Sun.

The Mantle

The "icy" mantle of Uranus is where most of its mass is. However, this is not actually made of ice. The mantle consists of a hot dense fluid of water, methane, and ammonia. Astronomers only recently discovered that Uranus and Neptune were compositionally different than Jupiter and Saturn, so they gave them the name "Ice Giants" to distinguish them.

The Atmosphere

The atmosphere on Uranus is 83% hydrogen, 15% helium and 2% methane. Although only 2% of the atmosphere is made of methane, methane is actually the compound that is responsible for the blue-green color because it absorbs red light. The atmosphere also has layers and clouds just like Earth. On Uranus, the faint stripes are caused by the rising and falling of gasses as they warm and cool, just like on any other planet. However, because of the lack of heat coming from the core of Uranus, there is not as much atmospheric activity that drives big storms. This is part of the reason why Uranus may seem bland to some people.

Diamonds in Ur anus

Deep under the atmosphere of Uranus and Neptune, Scientists suspect that it may be raining diamonds. Within the "ice" layers of these planets, there is immense amounts of pressure. This pressure leads to heat, and under these conditions the methane is able to break apart. The isolated carbon atoms are then able to form diamonds. The diamonds would sink to the core and accumulate there, and maybe form a layer around the core. Going further, if the temperature is hot enough, there may be diamonds floating on liquid carbon, forming diamond bergs! Although this is only hypothetical, scientists have recently created the condition expected on these ice giants in an attempt to show this process. They were able to create very small diamonds, and they claim that with more stable conditions like those on Uranus and Neptune, larger and more consistent diamonds could form.

A Unique Magnetic Field

Not only does Uranus have strange tilt, its magnetic field is also much different than those of it's fellow planets. Most planets in our solar system have magnetic fields that are roughly aligned with their rotational axis. Uranus' magnetic field is 59 degrees off its rotational axis, causing a strange strobe-like affect. As Uranus rotates, the magnetic field also flops around, causing the field to open and close as the lines connect and reconnect.

Importance:

Magnetic fields are what protect the Earth and other planets from radiation from the Sun. This solar wind has charged particles that the magnetosphere is able to deflect. On Uranus, the magnetic field opens up frequently for solar wind to bombard it. Astronomers are discovering that more and more exoplanets are ice giants, so understanding how Uranus' magnetic field works is extremely important in determining the habitability these planets.

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