The internal structure and composition of Neptune. Because Neptune’s atmospheric methane content is similar to that of Uranus, some unknown atmospheric constituent is thought to contribute to Neptune’s more intense coloring. Due to its smaller size and higher concentrations of volatiles relative to Jupiter and Saturn, Neptune (much like Uranus) is often referred to as an “ice giant” – a subclass of a giant planet.Īs with Uranus, the absorption of red light by the atmospheric methane is part of what gives Neptune its blue hue, although Neptune’s is darker and more vivid. But with a mass of 1.0243 × 10 26 kg – which is roughly 17 times that of Earth – it is the third most massive, outranking Uranus.
With a mean radius of 24,622 ± 19 km, Neptune is the fourth largest planet in the Solar System. Because of this, Neptune’s surface is one of the most active and dynamic places in entire the Solar System. That being said, Neptune does have a surface of sorts, (as with the other gas and ice giants) which is defined by astronomers as being the point in the atmosphere where the pressure reaches one bar. If a person were to attempt to stand on Neptune, they would sink through the gaseous layers.Īs they descended, they would experience increased temperatures and pressures until they finally touched down on the solid core itself. What we see is actually the tops of some very deep gas clouds, which in turn give way to water and other melted ices that lie over an approximately Earth-size core made of silicate rock and a nickel-iron mix. In fact, the blue-green disc we have all seen in photographs over the years is actually a bit of an illusion. Join us and share your story.As a gas giant (or ice giant), Neptune has no solid surface. This show is made possible thanks to the generous donations of people like you! Please consider supporting to our show on /365DaysofAstronomy and get access to bonus content.Īfter 10 years, the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast is poised to enter its second decade of sharing important milestone in space exploration and astronomy discoveries. You may reproduce and distribute this audio for non-commercial purposes. The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by Planetary Science Institute. His main research interests at present are the study of the gas giants, especially the ice giants (Uranus and Neptune) and also exoplanets. He has been a co-investigator on a number of spacecraft missions, such as Cassini/CIRS, Venus Express/VIRTIS and Rosetta/VIRTIS and is also involved with ground-based observations of the giant planets with telescopes such as IRTF, Gemini, UKIRT and VLT. Patrick Irwin is a University Lecturer at the University of Oxford, working on remote sensing of planetary atmospheres. Patrick Irwin discusses new research shedding light on the differences in the colors of Uranus and Neptune.īio: Rob Sparks is in the Communications, Education and Engagement group at NSF’s NOIRLab.ĭr. At visible wavelengths Neptune has a distinctly bluer color whereas Uranus is a pale shade of cyan. Neptune and Uranus have much in common - they have similar masses, sizes, and atmospheric compositions - yet their appearances are notably different.
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