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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/astro-uranus-sideways-tilt

Approximately how far is Uranus's rotation axis tilted?

About 98 degrees, so Uranus rotates nearly on its side.

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  1. 98 degrees ✔
  2. 23.5 degrees
  3. 5 degrees

Why: Uranus's 97.77-degree obliquity puts its equator nearly perpendicular to its orbital plane. This extreme geometry gives the planet unusually long, intense seasons.

Huh, didn't know that: For nearly one quarter of its 84-year orbit, one pole faces the Sun while the other has a 21-year dark winter.

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Uranus approaches rotation from a whole new angle.
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References

Answer: 98 degrees. Uranus's 97.77-degree obliquity puts its equator nearly perpendicular to its orbital plane. This extreme geometry gives the planet unusually long, intense seasons.

  1. Uranus Facts science.nasa.gov/uranus/facts
    Uranus is the only planet whose equator is nearly at a right angle to its orbit, with a tilt of 97.77 degrees.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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