Neptune
 The methane in Neptune's atmosphere causes it to be blue. |
The outermost gas giant in our solar system. For the years 1979 to 1999, it is actually the outer most planet in the solar system since Pluto has such an eccentric orbit that it crosses over to be inside Neptune's orbit during those years. Neptune is a dynamic world with cloud features and cyclonic storms, somewhat similar to those of Jupiter and Saturn. Unlike Jupiter and Saturn, Neptune possesses a composition which contains many more icy substances such as methane and ammonia. Neptune has eight moons, most of which are small rocky bodies. Triton, however, is an interesting world in its own right. It possesses a complex set of seasons and has a particularly fascinating form of icy volcanism taking place on its surface.
| Equatorial diameter | 49528000 | m | Clip |
| Average Density | 1710 | kgm-3 | Clip |
| Axial tilt | 28.8 | degrees | Clip |
| Rotational period | 16.12 | hours | Clip |
| Average surface temperature | -220 | °C | Clip |
| Maximum apparent magnitude | 7.8 | Clip | |
| Aphelion | 4537000000000 | m | Clip |
| Perihelion | 4456000000000 | m | Clip |
| Orbital tilt | 1.77 | degrees | Clip |
| Orbital period | 164.79y | y=Earth year, d=Earth day | Clip |
paste all data into clipboardSee also: Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Pluto, Saturn, Solar System, Sun, Uranus, Venus.
- Weblinks:
- NASA Photographic Library Photographs from NASA available for viewing and download.
- The Nine Planets A Multimedia Tour of the Solar System: one star, eight planets, and more.