Uranus: The Longest Winter Imaginable

If you think winter lasts too long where you live, be thankful that you don’t live on Uranus. Here are a couple of Uranus fun facts — or not-so-fun facts: The seventh planet in our solar system only has two seasons: winter and summer. Each of them lasts 42 years.

As if 42 winter months of near-total darkness weren’t bad enough, summer doesn’t bring much relief, at least as far as temperatures go. Temperatures are fairly consistent from season to season, with an average of -353 degrees F (-214 degrees C).  This gives Uranus the coldest atmosphere of the planets, even though it is not the farthest from the sun. Neptune, although 896 million miles more distant, has an average cloud temperature range from about -240 degrees F (-151 degrees C)  to -330 degrees F (-201 degrees C).

Lake Maracaibo’s Eternal Storm: The World’s Most Reliable Lightning Show

Discover Lake Maracaibo’s eternal lightning storm—why it flashes hundreds of times a night, fooled pirates like Francis Drake, and still baffles scientists today.

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Did Charles Hatfield Really Make It Rain in San Diego? The Strange Tale of a Sewing‑Machine Salesman Turned Rainmaker

Dive into the fascinating true story of Charles Hatfield, the self-proclaimed rainmaker who convinced San Diego he could end a drought in 1916. Discover what he claimed, what actually happened, and whether he really caused the historic floods that followed.

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Hector the Convector: The World’s Most Punctual Thunderstorm

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