NeptuneBrett and Zack

General Info8th planet from the sun

Fourth largest in diameter (smaller in diameter but larger in mass than Uranus)

4,504,000,000 km from the sun

49,532 km in diameter

1.0247^26 kg in mass

Info ContinuedNeptune (Poseidon in green language) means

god of the sea

13 moons

Magnetic Field is off-centered and at a large angle to it’s rotation axis

MoonsTriton is Neptune’s largest moon.

It contains 99.5% of the mass that orbits Neptune

NereidHas one of the most eccentric orbits of all moons

in our solar system

Proteusnotable for being as large as a body of its density

can be without being pulled into a spherical shape by its own gravity

Triton Nereid

Proteus

CompositionIcy and rocky, with about 15% helium and a

little nitrogen

Rings: Dark with bright clumps

May not have distinct internal layering

Most likely a small core of rocky material

AtmosphereAtmosphere is mostly hydrogen and helium,

with a small amount of methane.

The blue color of Neptune is created by the absorption of red light by methane in the atmosphere.

There is also an unidentified chromophore which gives clouds a rich blue tint.

Early ObservationIn 1613, Galileo first observed Neptune when it

was very close to Jupiter, but he thought it was just a star.

Discovered in 1846

VisitedHas only been visited by one spacecraft,

Voyager 2, on August 25, 1989

Work Cited "Neptune L Neptune Facts, Pictures and Information."

The Nine Planets Solar System Tour. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. <http://nineplanets.org/neptune.html>.

"Neptune." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune>.

"The Planet Neptune." Space Projects - Space Information - Space Shop. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. <http://www.aerospaceguide.net/planet/planetneptune.html>.

"Planets: Neptune." Solar System Exploration. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. <http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Neptune>.