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&dev=1">atmosphere</a> shows a striped pattern of <a href="/neptune/atmosphere/N_clouds_overview.html&edu=elem&dev=1">clouds</a>. This cloud pattern is very similar to that of <a href="/jupiter/jupiter.html&edu=elem&dev=1">Jupiter</a> and <a href="/saturn/saturn.html&edu=elem&dev=1">Saturn</a>. Neptune even has a <a href="/neptune/atmosphere/N_clouds_GDS.html&edu=elem&dev=1">Great Dark Spot</a> similar to Jupiter's <a href="/jupiter/atmosphere/J_clouds_GRS.html&edu=elem&dev=1">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&dev=1">ozone layer on Earth</a>, in the <a href="/physical_science/chemistry/methane.html&edu=elem&dev=1">methane</a> cloud deck of Neptune.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of NASA</em></small></p>

Explore Neptune

Interior and Surface of Neptune

The Giant planets do not have the same kind of structure inside that the terrestrial planets ...Read more

Atmosphere of Neptune

Neptune's atmosphere shows a striped pattern of clouds. This cloud pattern is very similar ...Read more

Neptune's Magnetosphere

The magnetosphere of Neptune is very much like that of Uranus, medium sized but still much ...Read more

Neptune's Moons and Rings

Neptune's largest moon is named Triton. Triton is much larger than any of the planet's other moons. ...Read more

The Poles of Neptune and its Moons

The South Pole of the planet Neptune is unusual in several ways. Triton, Neptune's largest ...Read more

Planetary Facts

All of the relevant information about Neptune collected on one page, including details about size, orbit ...Read more

Myth and Culture

Neptune was the god of the waters and was a son of Chronos and a brother of Jupiter and of Pluto ...Read more

Missions to Neptune

A table containing information about the spacecraft that have visited Neptune ...Read more

Images and Multimedia

Access wonderful captioned photos and illustrations that will inspire and excite you. ...Read more

Neptune Links

These are links to other great web sites about Neptune. But beware: you don't want to get ...Read more

More about Neptune

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Did you know?

Did you know that the "Seven Sisters" known to the Greeks is the same as the "Flint Boys" known to the Navajo?

Did you know that the Japanese god Susanowo was the god of the sea and storms, and that he had a terrible temper?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

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Cirque
xCirque : A semicircular basin excavated by glaciers in mountain top regions; may contain a lake

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Research Highlights

Unprecedented Warming in East Africa's Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika, the second-oldest and second-deepest lake in the world, could be in for some rough waters. Geologists have determined that the East African rift lake has experienced unprecedented warming...Read more


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