Monday, May 16, 2011

13 Things you Need to Know about Neptune

1. Because Pluto's orbit is elliptical, Neptune occasionally orbits further away from the sun then Pluto, making it the furthest planet. However now that Pluto is no longer officially a planet, Neptune is always the furthest planet from the Sun, and Earth.

2. Neptune has the strongest winds in the Solar System.

3. Neptune is the coldest planet in the Solar System.

4. The gravity on Neptune is only 17% stronger then that on earth.

5. One day on Neptune measures about 16 earth hours.

6. Whether the English or French discovered Neptune is still in dispute.

7. A year on Neptune measures 165 earth years.

8. Neptune is named after the Roman god of the seas, due to its blue color.

9. Neptune's moon, Triton, is eventually getting closer to it. it is believed that eventually the gravity of Neptune will tear this moon apart.

10. Triton has the coldest temperatures measured in the Solar System, about -230C.

11. There is a permanent cloud on Neptune known as the "Scooter".

12. Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited Neptune, in 1989.

13. Neptune is the fourth largest planet among the eight planets in our Solar System.