NeptuneBy: Jason Smith

Symbol

Name

In Roman mythology, Neptune was the god of the sea.

DiscoveryWho: Johann Gottfried and Henrich Louis d’Arrest

When: 23 Sep 1946

How: based on calculations by Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier

DistanceOrbit from the Sun: # 8

Distance from the Sun: 4,504,000,000 km

Distance from the Earth: 4,500,000,00 km

Planet Measurements

Mass: 102,410,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg

Volume: 62, 525, 703, 987, 421 km3

Density: 1.638 g/cm3

Neptune sinks, because its density is greater than that of water

Gravity: 11.15 m/s2

Orbit and Rotation

Revolution: 60,190 Earth Days (164.8 years)

Rotation: 0.67 Earth Days (19.1 hours)

Atmosphere74 % Hydrogen

25 % Helium

1 % Methane (at depth)

Very thin atmosphere

TemperatureAverage: -353 degrees Fahrenheit

Much colder than Earth and Florida

Composition/Appearance

Type: Gas Giant – mostly composed of ice, hydrogen, and helium

Internal Composition: Small, rocky core and icy mantle

Neptune looks like a giant, blue-green sphere. The color comes from methane in Neptune’s atmosphere. If you are close enough, you can view the rings.

WeatherWinds whip clouds of frozen methane across the planet at speeds of 2,000 km/h (1,200 mph).

Neptune is the windiest planet.

Rings

Most of the rings are faint arcs and were discovered in 1989. There are at least 9 rings. They are a faint, whitish color and are made of stars.

MoonsThere are 13 moons (8 of which are named):

Naiad – discovered 1989

Thalassa – discovered 1989

Despina – discovered 1989

Galatea – discovered 1989

Larissa – discovered 1989

Proteus – discovered 1989 – dotted with craters

Triton – discovered 1846 – retrograde orbit

Nereid – discovered 1949 – irregular shape

WaterThere is no known evidence of water on Neptune.

What would happen to a

human?Since there is no surface, the only safe way would be in a secure aircraft in a flyby. However, it would take a long time to get to Neptune in the first place.

Something Special

#1. Due to Pluto’s strange orbit, it is sometimes closer to Earth, and, thus, the sun, than Neptune.

#2. If the sun were the size of a front door, Neptune would be the size of a baseball.

#3. Neptune was the first planet located through mathematical predictions, rather than observations in the sky.

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