Planet Named George

Ancient people have spent countless hours watching Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Can you belive they missed one!

There is and sixth planet you can see without telescope, a planet named George!

“George” is glowing like an aqua-blue star of 6th magnitude. It is four times bigger than Earth, it has more than 30 moon and dozen thin rings. George make one full spin around Earth in 84 years.

George is better known as Uranus.

William Herschel, English astronomer, discovered “George” in 1781. He named it the Georgium Sidus (the Georgian Planet) in honor of his king, King George III. Later George was re-named Uranus, like the Greek god of sky.

Uranus had been mistaken many times for a star. John Flamsteed (astronomer) cataloged it as 34 Tauri, the 34th star of Taurus the Bull. Uranus is too far from the sun and it looks like a star without using telescope. Also Uranus moves so slowly.