25 Facts About Neptune

Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known solar planet.

Neptune is denser and physically smaller than Uranus because its greater mass causes more gravitational compression of its atmosphere.

Neptune is not visible to the unaided eye and is the only planet in the Solar System found by mathematical prediction rather than by empirical observation.

However, similar to Uranus, its interior is primarily composed of ices and rock; Uranus and Neptune are normally considered "ice giants" to emphasise this distinction.

In contrast to the hazy, relatively featureless atmosphere of Uranus, Neptune's atmosphere has active and visible weather patterns.

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Neptune has a faint and fragmented ring system, which was discovered in 1984, then later confirmed by Voyager 2.

In Roman mythology, Neptune was the god of the sea, identified with the Greek Poseidon.

In Mongolian, Neptune is called, reflecting its namesake god's role as the ruler of the sea.

When Pluto was discovered, it was considered a planet, and Neptune thus became the second-farthest known planet, except for a 20-year period between 1979 and 1999 when Pluto's elliptical orbit brought it closer than Neptune to the Sun.

Neptune, like Uranus, is an ice giant, a subclass of giant planet, because they are smaller and have higher concentrations of volatiles than Jupiter and Saturn.

Core of Neptune is likely composed of iron, nickel and silicates, with an interior model giving a mass about 1.

Neptune's atmosphere is subdivided into two main regions: the lower troposphere, where temperature decreases with altitude, and the stratosphere, where temperature increases with altitude.

Models suggest that Neptune's troposphere is banded by clouds of varying compositions depending on altitude.

High-altitude clouds on Neptune have been observed casting shadows on the opaque cloud deck below.

Neptune's spectra suggest that its lower stratosphere is hazy due to condensation of products of ultraviolet photolysis of methane, such as ethane and ethyne.

The stratosphere of Neptune is warmer than that of Uranus due to the elevated concentration of hydrocarbons.

Neptune resembles Uranus in its magnetosphere, with a magnetic field strongly tilted relative to its rotational axis at 47° and offset at least 0.

Neptune is not a solid body, its atmosphere undergoes differential rotation.

Neptune's orbit has a profound impact on the region directly beyond it, known as the Kuiper belt.

Objects in this resonance complete 2 orbits for every 3 of Neptune, and are known as plutinos because the largest of the known Kuiper belt objects, Pluto, is among them.

Some Neptune trojans are remarkably stable in their orbits, and are likely to have formed alongside Neptune rather than being captured.

Neptune has a planetary ring system, though one much less substantial than that of Saturn.

Earth-based observations announced in 2005 appeared to show that Neptune's rings are much more unstable than previously thought.

Neptune may continue to brighten as it approaches perihelion in 2042.

Neptune is currently entering its spring and summer season and has been shown to be heating up, with increased atmospheric activity and brightness as a consequence.

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