A photo of the planet Uranus, which looks like a featureless sphere. There is no detail, not even variation in clouds or bands in the atmosphere. It is a pale sea foam color.

Notices where this attachment appears

1. Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Monday, 13-Mar-2023 14:59:31 UTC Robert McNees

   in reply to

   The announcement was made on that date for two reasons.

   First, to honor Percival Lowell, who was born #OTD in 1855. Lowell first hypothesized the existence of Pluto to explain irregularities in the orbit of Uranus.

   And second, to commemorate the discovery of Uranus, smooth as an egg and monstrously featureless to the human eye, by William Herschel #OTD in 1781.

   Uranus Image: NASA/JPL