Half of the planets discovered in other star systems are about the same size and mass as Uranus and Neptune, two of the giants of our own solar system. But we don’t know much about these exoplanets – in part because we don’t know much about Uranus and Neptune themselves. They’re billions of miles away, and only one mission has visited either planet.

But scientists hope to learn more around the middle of the century. A panel of scientists recommended a “flagship” mission to Uranus as NASA’s next big project for planetary exploration. An orbiter would loop around Uranus and its moons for years, while a probe would parachute into the planet’s atmosphere.

Uranus is an oddball. It lies on its side – probably the result of a collision with another planet when it was young. Scientists would like to know more about the impact and how it affected the planet’s interior. The sideways orientation also gives Uranus a cycle of seasons unlike that of any other planet. And some of the planet’s moons could have oceans of liquid water below their icy crusts.

NASA hasn’t yet started on the mission – in part because it’s working on a lot of other big-ticket items. So it’ll be a while before we get a close look at this common type of giant planet.

Right now, Uranus is low in the east as darkness falls. Tonight, it’s not too far to the lower left of the Moon. But it’s so faint that you need binoculars or a telescope to see it.

Script by Damond Benningfield