Please show all calculations and justifications. 1. Uranus’ orbit is approximate

Question

Please show all calculations and justifications.

1. Uranus’ orbit is approximately circular, but the planet has a tilt of its rotation axis that is much greater than Earth’s: Earth’s is tilted 24 degrees, while Uranus axis is tilted 98 degrees. How do you think this will affect the seasons in Uranus?

2.  It takes 84 years for Uranus to complete its orbit around the Sun. Approximately (no need to do any calculation), how long do you think Uranus’ North Pole is in darkness during its winter? explain your reasoning.

Explanation / Answer

1. The tilt of 98o makes the planet exhibit one of the strangest behavior among the planets in the solar system. This tilt makes the planet look like it is rolling around the sun. So, though the Uranus rotates around its axis resulting in Uranus days there is almost no effect of it on the sunlight it receives through that Uranus day. This results in the planet experiencing only two seasons. Summer, when the sunlight shines through the day and winter when the sunlight is absent throughout the day.  

2. As explained, the planet Uranus experiences only two seasons which are divided almost equally and therefore, the North pole of Uranus is in darkness throughout the winter which extends up to half of the orbital period i.e., 42 years. For a person standing on the North Pole of Uranus (physically not possible), the sun would appear to be ascending from the horizon for 21 years and then descend for 21years and then followed by the winter of 42 years of complete darkness.

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