What is the third largest planet in our solar system?

While Jupiter and Saturn are the undisputed heavyweights of our solar system, the ranking for third place depends on whether you are measuring by size or by mass. By diameter, this distant world is indeed the third largest, four times wider than Earth. However, its neighbor Neptune is slightly more massive, which means that if you were to rank the planets by mass, this ice giant would actually come in fourth place.

Classified as an "ice giant," its atmosphere is a frigid mix of hydrogen, helium, and methane, surrounding a dense, hot core made of water, ammonia, and methane ices. The methane in its upper atmosphere is what gives the planet its signature pale cyan hue, as it absorbs red light from the sun and reflects blue and green light back into space.

Perhaps its most bizarre feature is its extreme axial tilt. Unlike any other planet, Uranus is tilted on its side by about 98 degrees, meaning it essentially rolls along its orbital path around the sun. This unique orientation results in the most extreme seasons in the solar system, with each pole getting 42 consecutive years of sunlight followed by 42 years of complete darkness.