Neptune

Neptune, the eighth and furthest planet from the Sun, is a very cold place. Its bluish color is caused by small amounts of methane gas in its atmosphere. The planet has moons and a very narrow, faint ring system.

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Neptune's <a href="/neptune/lower_atmosphere.html&edu=elem">atmosphere</a> shows
a striped pattern of
<a href="/neptune/atmosphere/N_clouds_overview.html&edu=elem">clouds</a>.
This cloud pattern is very similar to that of
<a href="/jupiter/jupiter.html&edu=elem">Jupiter</a> and
<a href="/saturn/saturn.html&edu=elem">Saturn</a>.
Neptune even has a <a href="/neptune/atmosphere/N_clouds_GDS.html&edu=elem">Great Dark
Spot</a> similar
to Jupiter's <a href="/jupiter/atmosphere/J_clouds_GRS.html&edu=elem">Great
Red Spot</a>.
The Great Dark Spot of Neptune is thought to be a hole, similar to the hole
in the <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/ozone_layer.html&edu=elem">ozone layer on
Earth</a>,
in the <a href="/physical_science/chemistry/methane.html&edu=elem">methane</a> cloud
deck of Neptune.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of NASA</em></small></p>

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