6 Things about the Neptune | The Farthest planet in our solar system

                The Neptune is eighth planet from our sun. The Neptune is farthest known planet. Neptune is fourth largest planet in our solar system. Neptune is denser than the Uranus. But Neptune is smaller in physical size. The mass of the Neptune is more than its nearest planet Uranus. The Neptune requires 165 Earth years to complete one orbit around the sun. The planet Neptune is discovered by mathematical prediction. We cannot see Neptune by unaided eye. According to Roman mythology, Neptune is the god of the ocean and in Greek mythology, the planet Neptune is identified by the Greek god Poseidon.

The Neptune Planet

The colour of the planet Neptune is bluish. The colour of Neptune is influenced by the presence of the methane in its atmosphere. The distance between our sun and the Neptune is about 2.8 billion miles or 4.5 billion km. The diameter of Neptune is of about 49,530 km or 30,775 miles approximately. As like the Uranus, the Neptune is also an ice giant. As the Neptune is farthest known planet, the temperature of the Neptune is of -214 degree Celsius. But the Neptune is not as cold as the Uranus. The Uranus is coldest planet in our solar system.

The Farthest planet Neptune

The Neptune required 16 hours to complete on rotation about its axis of rotation. That means the day on the Neptune is just 16 hours. The rotation of the Neptune about its axis is different from all other planets in our solar system. The polar region of Neptune rotates 4 hours faster than the equator region. As like the Saturn, Jupiter and Uranus, the Neptune also has a ring around it. Neptune has five rings, Galle, Leverrier, Lassell, Arago and Adams. The planet Neptune has 14 known moons orbiting around it. The Triton moon is the largest moon of Neptune.

Inner Composition of Neptune

                The Neptune has 4 layers, firstly the outermost atmosphere. This layer is the part of the atmosphere. This consists of the clouds of gases. The second layer is the atmosphere. This atmosphere consists of hydrogen, helium and methane in gaseous form. The hydrogen is 80%, helium is 19% and rest percentage is of methane. Both atmospheric layers are the 10% of the planet’s mass. Beneath the atmosphere the mantle starts. The mantle of Neptune is 15 Earth masses. The mantle is dense fluid. The mantle is rich is water, ammonia and methane. This mixture is referred to as icy but it is hot dense fluid. So, this is also known as “Water-ammonia ocean”. Now the last is the core of Neptune, the scientists theoretically assumed that the core may be made up of rock and metal. The core is assumed to be made up of silicate, iron and other metals. The temperature of core is of about 7000⁰C approximately. The huge difference between the core temperature and the temperature of surface cause the huge wind storms. The speed of storm reaches up to 2100 km per hours. This speed is the fastest storm speed in our solar system. Due to pressure methane condensed at the upper level. The Neptune has fastest moving wind storm in solar system 1500 miles per hour approximately. The storm may remain for long period of time. As like Jupiter, the Neptune has its grate dark spot. The temperature of Neptune is 200 degree Celsius. But its south pole region Temperature is 10 degree Celsius. So, this causes the strongest and fastest wind storm in our entire solar system.

The Inner Composition of the Neptune

                When south pole exposed to sun approximately 40 Earth years. The temperature reaches to 10 degree Celsius. So, the methane which is frozen at the rest of the planet. But at south pole, methane escape into stratosphere. And when north pole exposed to sun approximately 40 Earth years. The temperature reaches to 10 degree Celsius. So, the methane which is frozen at the rest of the planet. But at north pole, methane escape into stratosphere.

Magnetic field of the Neptune

                The Magnetic field of the Neptune is tilted 47⁰ from the rotational axis. Distance between magnetic pole and the geographical pole is approximately 13,500 km. The magnetic field of Neptune is represented approximately by the dipole similar to the bar magnet. But the polarity is essentially reverse as compared with the Earth’s magnetic field. The magnetic field of the Neptune is not generated from the core. The Neptune’s magnetic field having offset of 56% of the radius. The magnetic field is actually closer to the cloud top. The magnetic field may be generated in the processes occurring in the upper layers of the planetary interiors. The magnetosphere is nothing but the region of space dominated by the magnetic field of the Neptune. The charged particles electrons and protons trapped in the magnetosphere are repeatedly swept past the orbits of the moons and rings. The most of the particles are absorbed by the moons and the rings of the Neptune. The moons and the ring material almost emptying the magnetosphere. So that, there are very few percentages of charged particles in magnetosphere. As the magnetic field of the Neptune is generated outward to the central core. The magnetic field lines can travel along into the atmosphere. So, they collide with gases there, results to those gases to fluoresce. This appears as the auroras.

Orbit of the Neptune around the sun

                The Neptune requires 16 hours to complete one rotation around its axis. The axis of rotation of the Neptune is tilted 28⁰ with respect to plane of its orbit around sun. This tilt is similar to the Earth’s tilt. So, this means the Neptune also experiences the seasons. But its orbit is long each of 4 seasons last for over 40 years. The Neptune requires 165 Earth years to complete one orbit around the sun. the aphelion is 4.54 billion kilometers approximately and perihelion is 4.46 billion kilometers approximately. The planet Neptune’s rotation around its axis is very different than that of other planets. The equatorial zone requires about 18 hours to complete one rotation and the polar region requires about 12 hours to complete one rotation around its axis. The one interesting thing about the Neptune planet is, after every 250 years approximately pluto comes closer to the sun that means pluto moves inside the orbit of the Neptune and it is for 20 years.

Orbit of the Neptune.

Rings of the Neptune

                The all outer planets in our solar system has a ring around them. The ice giant and the last planet in our solar system has a ring. The Neptune has five rings. The rings are Galle, Le Verrier, Lassell, Arago and Adams. The names of the rings are given after the scientists who made important discovery related with the planet Neptune.

                The rings are composed with dust and small rocks. The rings are consisting of at least 20% to maximum 70% dust. And the rest material is small rocks. The rings of the Neptune are very difficult to see. The rings are dark and the density of it varies and size also. The study suggested that the Neptune’s rings are young ass compared with the planet. The rings may be formed when one of the moons of the Neptune was destroyed.

The rings of the Neptune.

                The ring Galle named after the scientist Johann Gottfried Galle. The Johann Galle is the first person who see planet Neptune using telescope. The Galle ring starts from 41,000 km and ends at 43,000 km from the Neptune. The next ring is La Verrier ring. The La Verrier ring is named after the scientist who predicted the position of the planet Neptune. The La Verrier ring is very narrow. The width of this ring is approximately 110 km. The next ring is Lassell ring. The Lassell ring is the widest ring among all other rings of the Neptune. The name of the ring is given after the scientist William Lassell. The Lassell ring starts from 53,210 km and ended at 57,210 km from the Neptune. The width of Lassell ring is approximately 4000 km, widest ring of the Neptune. The next ring is Arago ring. The name of the ring is given after the Francois Arago scientist. The ring Arago starts from approximately 57,199 km and ended at 57,300 km from the Neptune. The width of Arago ring is nearly 100 km. The outermost ring is Adams ring. The name of the ring is given after the scientist John couch Adams. The width of the ring is nearly 35 km. The Adams ring is slightly inclined. The most interesting thing about the Adams ring are arc. There are five arcs exists on the ring. The Arcs are the brightest parts of the rings. The names are Fraternite, Egalite 1, Egalite 2, Liberte and Courage. The Fraternite arc is the brightest among all the arcs of the Neptune. And the arc Courage is the faintest arc of the Neptune. The scientist can not find out that how these arcs are formed because according to law of motion, the ring material must be distributed uniformly around the Neptune.

The Moons of the Neptune

                The outer planets of our solar system have numerous moons orbiting around them. The Neptune has 14 known moons orbiting around it. The ice giants Uranus and Neptune both are quite similar in terms of composition and structure. But their systems of moons are very different from each other. The scientists think that the most of the moons of the Neptune are not their original moons. The original moons mean, the moons are formed with the Neptune. The largest moon of the Neptune is Triton. The Triton is one of the moons which is captured by the Neptune’s gravity.

The Triton moon of the Neptune

                The Triton moon is largest moon of the Neptune. The Triton is seventh largest moon in our solar system. The Triton is larger than the dwarf planets Pluto and Eris. The unusual thing about the Triton is the only large moon that orbits in opposite direction of its planet’s rotation. The Triton is tidally locked with the Neptune. Tidally locked means the one side of the moon always faces towards the planet. The Triton requires 5.88 Earth days to complete one orbit around the Neptune. The average orbital speed of Triton is nearly 4.40 kilometer per second.

The Triton, largest moon of the Neptune.

                The surface of Triton has nitrogen. But the nitrogen is in frozen state. The crust of the Triton is mostly made up of the water-ice. The mantle is made up of frozen ice. The core of the Triton is made up of the rocky material and some metals. The atmosphere of the Triton consists of tenuous nitrogen, trace amount of carbon monoxide. And very small amount of methane which is near the surface of the Triton. The nitrogen is evaporating from the surface of the Triton.

The Proteus moon of the Neptune

                The moon Proteus is one of the largest moons of the Neptune. But Proteus is not as big as the Triton. The Proteus is second largest moon of the Neptune and it is one of the inner moon of the Neptune. The moon Proteus is not a perfect sphere. It has an odd box like shape. The moon is named after the Greek god who changing the shapes.

The second largest moon Proteus of the Neptune.

The Proteus requires 27 hours to complete one orbit around the Neptune. The average orbital speed of the Proteus is approximately 7.6 km/s. The distance between the Proteus and the Neptune is nearly 117,650 km or 73,102 miles. The Proteus is tidally locked with the Neptune. This mean that the one face of the moon always faces towards the Neptune. The Proteus is irregularly shaped and surface is heavily cratered. The Proteus is one of the darkest objects in our solar system. Because Proteus reflects only six percent of the sunlight.              

The Nereid moon of the Neptune

                The Nereid moon is one of the largest moons of the Neptune. The Nereid is third largest moon of all known moons. The Nereid moon requires approximately 360 Earth days to complete one orbit around the Neptune. The surface of the Nereid consists of various types of ices and silicates. As like the Triton, the Nereid moon is also a captured object of the Neptune. That means the Nereid moon is not the original moon of the Neptune. The Nereid moon is one of the outermost known moons of the Neptune. The moon Nereid detected the water ice on the surface.

The Nereid moon of the Neptune.