back to article Hate to break it to you, but billions of people can see Uranus tonight

Attention, inhabitants of the northern hemisphere of our fragile home world. You're about to get one of the best peeks at Uranus in years – because the strange alien planet will reach opposition with the Sun and be at the closest point in its orbit to Earth. On Thursday and Friday, Earth will be directly in between the second- …

  1. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Pen-y-gors

      Re: Uranus's Moon

      No, no, no...

      Get the meme right - Bumholey McBumholeyface.

      So tonight telescope users will exclaim "Wow Uranus looks big in this"

      Now let the pun-fest commence...

      1. wolfetone Silver badge
        Trollface

        Re: Uranus's Moon

        "Get the meme right - Bumholey McBumholeyface."

        Don't you actually mean: Ben Afleck?

    2. Rich 11

      Re: Uranus's Moon

      called Bumholey

      Admit it, you got that from Spitting Image.

      1. bombastic bob Silver badge
        Coat

        Re: Uranus's Moon

        I thought it was called "dingleberry"

      2. This post has been deleted by its author

        1. Jamie Jones Silver badge

          Re: Uranus's Moon

          Yes, it was one of the classic sketches "featuring" the late Alastair Burnet, I remember it clearly..

          EDIT: Ain't the intertube-er-me-jigs wonderful?

          Found it: Alastair Burnet, Uranus, and Bumhole: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHp9Cakv2Fg

          1. Jamie Jones Silver badge

            Re: Uranus's Moon

            Notice how some miserable bastard has downvoted all the "anus" posts? !

    3. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Uranus's Moon

      Early indications are that Uranus has a moon,

      Having a moon with Uranus will land you in all sorts of trouble.

    4. plrndl
      Pint

      Re: Uranus's Moon

      Bottoms up!

  2. J. Cook Silver badge
    Coat

    As I was reading the article, I kept (intentionally) mis-pronouncing the name of the planet, putting emphasis on the first two letters.

    Maturity: I've heard of it.

    *glances at the two very large bouncers that have appeared next to him* I'm going, let me get my coat.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      That is how it is pronounced...*

      * I am aware that recent attempts have been made to change the pronounciation in the UK, but they have failed. They can't come along and take Uranus just like that.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Especially not through the back door.

      2. Jamie Jones Silver badge

        "Recent attempts"? They've been trying to PCise it since the 80's!

        I see it worked on J.Cook ... J - it's your anus. be proud of your anus!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      actually ...

      "As I was reading the article, I kept (intentionally) mis-pronouncing the name of the planet, putting emphasis on the first two letters."

      Actually the preferred pronunciation for any serious (grown-up) discussion of this fascinating planet ...

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Alexa! Show me pictures of Uranus.

      Oh my!

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Getting to see Uranus is something of a treat because it isn't usually this visible."

    Mirror on the skirting board at 90 degrees and look between part of the constellation of Hercules. Helps with shaving as well.

    1. Jamie Jones Silver badge

      Dis you know uranus has a heavy methane presence?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Headmaster

    Able to see the rings with binoculars?

    Firstly, in the many years people have been looking at Uranus, the first image of the rings was from Voyager 2. If you can duct tape 2 hubble space telescopes together and get yourself into orbit, you might technically be using Binoculars, but there's one or two logistical problems there. However, I'm totally aware that the 'your anus' jokes are massively more important than, you know, writing stuff that's well.....accurate.

    Secondly it's pissing down.

    1. redpawn

      Re: Able to see the rings with binoculars?

      Well you might have trouble seeing the ring with binoculars, but if you de-focus a reflecting telescope you will see a very nice ring.

    2. LaeMing
      Go

      Re: Able to see the rings with binoculars?

      Pissing-down. .... That's Urine-ous.

    3. Rich 11

      Re: Able to see the rings with binoculars?

      Secondly it's pissing down.

      Of course it's pissing it down. That's why the telescope was invented in Italy and not in England.

      1. CAPS LOCK

        "...the telescope was invented in Italy and not in England."

        Err, that notable rain free country the Netherlands. Probably by Hans Lippershy. Check out the Wackpedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_telescope

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I refuse to look at Uranus ... no matter how cute it is!

  6. cray74

    Childish Name

    Are we really going to have to wait until 2620 for astronomers to rename Uranus to something less open to childish jokes, like Urrectum?

    1. Chozo
      Coat

      Re: Childish Name

      Cornholio has a nice ring to it..

      1. ravenviz Silver badge

        Re: Childish Name

        Bumholio! I need TP!

    2. TRT Silver badge

      Re: Childish Name

      What's all this focus on bottoms anyway? Why not go for something short and snappy? Like 'Twat'.

    3. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Childish Name

      why change it when not even the Romans did.

      In both greek and roman mythology, it's "Uranus" for that guy, where as every other god apparently has a different name, they kept THAT one around after borrowing everything else from the greeks, and then changing the name - or at least that's what it SEEMS like...

      but yeah I saw that episode of 'Futurama' also, the one with the 'Smell-o-scope'.

      1. Neil Barnes Silver badge

        Re: Childish Name

        Could have been worse - wasn't Herschell's first proposal to call it 'George'?

        1. TRT Silver badge

          Re: Herschell's first proposal

          But when they discovered the annular dust clouds they'd have had to change it to Ringo.

          1. Alien8n

            Re: Herschell's first proposal

            @TRT And as they didn't know it was a planet back then that would have made it Ringo Star

            1. TRT Silver badge

              Re: Herschell's first proposal

              @Alien8n That's true enough. And the Hubble telescope would have been called Lucy. Up there. In the sky. With diamonds.

  7. CentralCoasty
    Pint

    Lets face it..... Uranus is probably the main reason most schoolboys have any interest at all in the stars... and the "renaming" has simply made it even more comical...

    That said, down here its pouring so no chance of seeing it.... dont know what the chances of seeing from Sydney were anyway even if it wasnt!

    So whilst all my northern friends enjoy staring at Uranus I'll have a beer........ (better than them staring at mine....)

    1. Mark 85

      Rain in here in Oregon so I'll not see Uranus.

  8. veti Silver badge

    Excellent news

    ... But you could at least tell us a bit more about where to look for it. Which Zodiac sign is it in?

    Cue "couldn't find Uranus with a map and a telescope" jokes...

    1. Paul Crawford Silver badge

      Re: "Which Zodiac sign is it in?"

      Well start with your date of birth...

      1. frank ly

        Re: "Which Zodiac sign is it in?"

        I'd be happy with a compass direction followed by 'then thirty degrees up', or whatever. I'm no good at finding constellations etc. and can just about recognise the moon.

        1. Robin

          Re: "Which Zodiac sign is it in?"

          and can just about recognise the moon.

          Once you've got that skill nailed, you can work on distinguishing it from Empire space stations.

        2. bombastic bob Silver badge
          Devil

          Re: "Which Zodiac sign is it in?"

          if it's opposite the sun, wait until midnight, then look due south, at an inclination of 30 degrees or so.

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      2. Stoneshop

        Re: "Which Zodiac sign is it in?"

        "Inflate to indicated pressure. No sharp objects."

  9. Faux Science Slayer

    Blue-green Uranus from Methane

    Where did Uranus get all the dead dinosaurs to make all that Methane ?

    "Fossil Fuel is Nuclear Waste" at CanadaFreePress, Sept 2010

    (There is NO peak oil....only elitist lies)

    1. Ken Hagan Gold badge
      Facepalm

      Re: Blue-green Uranus from Methane

      Who needs dead dinosaurs?

      It's Uranus. It's 50,000 km across. Of course it's made of fart gas.

      1. Solarflare

        Re: Blue-green Uranus from Methane

        I just made the mistake of looking at his past posts, to anyone who is thinking of doing the same: I strongly advise you to spare yourself.

        1. Alistair
          Windows

          Re: Blue-green Uranus from Methane

          @ Solarflare,

          I feel for you -- hopefully you didn't get sucked into the website -- I think the mods keep that one around to point out to us paranoid cynical types that we really *aren't* that crazy.

          1. TRT Silver badge

            Re: There is so peak oil...

            How else do you think I get my hair so perfect?

        2. Jamie Jones Silver badge
          Facepalm

          Re: Blue-green Uranus from Methane

          @Solarflare: You know that temptation you get when someone advises you against something?...

          Arrgh, I've been lucky I've never "bumped into" him before.

          A troll surely? I mean, surely no-one can be so ignorant on so many topics, and so stupid as to think they know what they're talking about?

          1. ravenviz Silver badge

            Re: Blue-green Uranus from Methane

            I'm just wondering why he hasn't fallen out of the bottom of the forums, with all those down votes!

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sigh

    Sigh, not one mention of its inhabitants, the Suppository people.

    1. Rich 11

      Re: Sigh

      How did they get up there?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Sigh

      I tried suppositories once, absolutely useless, I might as well have stuck them up my arse.

      1. Paul Crawford Silver badge

        Innuendo

        The Italian brand.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Could have used an accurate picture

    With the ring properly being centered over the equator, rather than the 'lines' of the ring being over the equator - the 'empty' centre of the ring should be over the equator

    1. Jamie Jones Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: Could have used an accurate picture

      With the ring properly being centered over the equator, rather than the 'lines' of the ring being over the equator - the 'empty' centre of the ring should be over the equator

      But what's that got to do with anuses?

      1. ravenviz Silver badge
        Joke

        Re: Could have used an accurate picture

        Shirley 'ani'?!

  12. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge

    Forecast: clouds!

    Typical! Given the wide orbit, the view should be OK for quite a while around opposition, however so I might still have a shot at imaging it. Even then, in my 8" scope Uranus (stop sniggering at the back), is never an amazing site. I captured it last year with my C8, but it just shows up as a little ball of a curious blue green colour. Neptune is even smaller. Having said that, when I first bagged both Uranus and Neptune one summer night in 1995, I did feel the solar system had become bigger for me.

    1. Missing Semicolon Silver badge
      FAIL

      Re: Forecast: clouds!

      Yeah. If there is something to see in the sky, it WILL be raining. Or cloudy. Or some other piece of UK weather that makes the sky look like the inside of a snot-filled handkerchief.

      Putting Astronomical events in a UK rag is just trolling.

  13. plrndl
    FAIL

    Avoirdupois

    " 18.91 astronomical units"?

    This is The Register. Let's have some proper el reg units.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Avoirdupois

      that would be depth of an olympic swimming pools or length of a london bendy double decker, head to rudder (borrowed from the beeb)

    2. harmjschoonhoven

      Re: Avoirdupois

      In 1676 Ole Rømer measured the speed of light from observations of Jupiter's moons as a little over three minutes per astronomical units. He did not know the actual length of 1 A.U. in Rijnlandse voeten, swimming pools (Olympic or otherwise), London double deckers or any other unit. For me 18.91 A.U. is still 157.27 lightminutes. Thank you.

  14. Unicornpiss
    Happy

    Be sure to text all your friends..

    Ur anus is visible tonite

  15. handleoclast
    Coat

    What colour is Uranus?

    The same colour as Mars.

    Yeah, it's a very old joke. But all the other old jokes were already taken.

  16. CustardGannet
    Pint

    @ Iain Thomson

    Uranus is instantly recognizable thanks to its blue-green color, which is the result of the methane in Uranus tinting the atmosphere

    Well played, sir !

  17. Len Goddard

    International Observe the Moon Night

    Is that International as in all over the USA and bits of Canada?

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "slightly more easier to pick out"

    Not merely slightly less difficulter?

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