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This is a drawing which illustrates the composition of the atmosphere of Uranus relative to possibilities for other planets.
Click on image for full size version (12K GIF)
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Unlike Saturn and Jupiter, where the atmosphere is mostly hydrogen and helium, the atmosphere of Uranus contains a greater percentage of the more complex gases, such as methane. There are clouds of methane ice low in the troposphere. Present also in large percentages are very sophisticated atmospheric constituents such as ethane gas, acetylene, and diacetylene. These form hazes high in the upper atmosphere.
One of the reasons these are the primary constituents of the atmosphere of Uranus is that Uranus evolved from the more sophisticated hydrocarbons and ices rather than solely from hydrogen and helium.
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