Uranus

by Melissa Stewart

Franklin Watts, Scholastic, 2002

Watts Library: Space series

for grades 5–7

ISBN 978–0‑53116–616‑1

Purchase this book at your local independent bookseller or Amazon.com.

Astronomer William Herschel first spotted Uranus, the seventh planet from the Sun, in the late 1700s. What appeared to Herschel as a featureless blue-green disk turned out to be a fascinating planet with at least twenty moons, eleven rings, and an unusual tilt. This book looks at the characteristics and exploration of Uranus, from Herschel’s first peek through his telescope to NASA’s Voyager II fly-by in 1986 to recent scientific discoveries. Readers catch the spirit of scientific inquiry as they see how a combination of patience, persistence, and advanced technology has lifted the shroud of mystery from this faraway planet.

Behind the Book

“While I was working as an editor, I was asked to find authors for a set of books about the planets. I contacted some of my favorite science writers, like Elaine Landau and Carmen Bredeson, and let them choose their favorite planets. But no one chose Uranus. I decided to start reading about the giant blue planet that was tilted on its side and William Herschel, the man who discovered it in 1781. I became so intrigued by the planet that I decided to write the book myself.”