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An Introductory Review of our Present Understanding of the Structure and Composition of Uranus’ Atmosphere

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2016

Michael J. S. Belton
Michael J. S. Belton*
Affiliation:
Kitt Peak National Observatory, †Tucson, Arizona 85726

Extract

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Measurements of the gross properties of Uranus are enough to show that it is a planet with quite unique characteristics. The best estimates of its radius (24900 km; Danielson, Tomasko and Savage, 1972) and of its mass (14.54 Earth masses; Klepczynski, Seidelmann and Duncombe, 1970) imply an interior structure and overall composition that set it clearly apart from Jupiter and Saturn (Hubbard and MacFarlane, 1980).

Type
Present Knowledge of Uranus
Information
International Astronomical Union Colloquium , Volume 60: Uranus and the Outer Planets , 1982 , pp. 155 - 171
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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