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From: dave@quest.UUCP (David Messer)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Uranus's axis
Message-ID: <334@quest.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 9-Feb-86 06:15:49 EST
Article-I.D.: quest.334
Posted: Sun Feb  9 06:15:49 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Feb-86 07:09:33 EST
References: <111@valid.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Quest Research Inc., Burnsville, MN
Lines: 16

> I know that Uranus's axis of rotation is tilted ~90 degrees from the
> normal, perpendicular-to-ecliptic axis.  This means that the axis
> lies in the plane of the ecliptic, but which way does it point?  
> Does it point at the sun, or is it tangent to the orbit, or some
> angle in between?

All of the above.  The direction of the axis of rotation remains
constant while Uranus revolves around the sun so sometimes the
north pole is pointed at the sun, sometimes the south pole and
sometimes the equator.  I haven't checked so I am not sure but
I believe that the north pole is currently pointing roughly sunward.
-- 

David Messer   UUCP:  ...ihnp4!quest!dave
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