French scientists called the planet Herschel, but German astronomer Johann Bode's suggestion of Uranus became the most popular. ... Officially, though, Uranus was known as Georgium Sidus for nearly 70 years until 1850, when Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office (HMNAO) finally changed the name to Uranus.

Why did they change the name of Uranus?

The Romans named the five planets closest to the Sun after their most important gods. ... Astronomers decided to continue naming the planets after Roman Gods with one exception - Uranus. Uranus was named after the Greek god of the sky. According to myth, he was the father of Saturn and the grandfather of Jupiter.

Is Uranus a planet anymore?

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, and has the third-largest diameter in our solar system. It was the first planet found with the aid of a telescope, Uranus was discovered in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel, although he originally thought it was either a comet or a star.