URANUS

The seventh planet out from the Sun, Uranus's name symbolizes the god of the sky. Every ancient religion had a "sky-god." If the Mayan Indians thought of the jaguar as one such god, the Greeks and Romans imagined him as one of the Titans who was overthrown by the violent-prone Kronus. But until that event, Uranus ruled the skies above Mount Olympus (the Greco- Roman "holy family" was like the inner cabinet in Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany: a cauldron of intrigue and assassination. Some religion, eh?). In music, Gustav Holst's composition, "The Planets," gives Uranus a very special, eerie orchestral treatment. As a planet, Uranus, which is huge, performs the uncommon feat of rotating on its axis while "lying on its side." How it got into this unique contortion is unknown. Another moon has been discovered revolving about Uranus bringing its total natural satellites to 17. That would be a lot of lunar eclipses!

For the site, Uranus is reserved for matters astronomical--upcoming sky events such as eclipses, occulations, appearances of planets and comets. Anything bearing upon the Sky will be found here.