URANUS
Last Planet   Next Planet		Uranus, the seventh planet, was the first to be discovered since ancient times. Sir William Herschel first observed the planet through a telescope on Mar. 13, 1781, seeing a featureless bluish green disk that he nevertheless recognized as a highly unusual object. The name Uranus was over the years accepted more and more widely and finally became universal in the mid-19th century,although at first Herschel wanted to name it after King George III. Uranus was the physical manifestation of the sky. He was both the son and husband of Gaea, the earth. He chose his son Tartarus to be his progeny, which angered Gaea, who wanted their son Cronus. Cronos revolted against Uranus, and Gaea helped him, and Uranus was castrated and kept in chains. From his blood sprang the giants and Eumenides. The element Uranium also takes its name from Uranus.

Source: Grollier's Multimedia Encyclopedia, © 1998 Grolier Interactive Inc.