Harvey's Space Adventure: Neptune

Click and drag to rotate the planet!

Source: NASA Visualization Technology Applications and Development (VTAD)

Harvey has made it to the farthest planet from the sun in our solar system! Neptune is a lot like Uranus, but there are a few differences.

Here are some cool things to know about Neptune:

Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the sun in our solar system. Like Uranus, Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft that has ever flown past it. No spacecraft have orbited Neptune yet.

Neptune is about the same size as Uranus. They are both about four times wider than Earth.

It takes Neptune 16 hours to rotate on its axis, making one day on Neptune equal 16 hours on Earth. It takes Neptune about 165 Earth years to complete one orbit around the sun. That makes a year on Neptune as long as 165 years on Earth!

Also like Uranus, Neptune is an "ice giant" with a small, rocky core surrounded by water, ammonia, and methane. It's cold and icy because it's so far from the sun, and it can't support life.

The atmosphere on Neptune is made up of hydrogen, helium, and methane, just like Uranus. It's the methane that makes both planets look blue.

Neptune has 14 known moons and at least 5 main rings. There are also 4 ring arcs, made up of dust and debris.

Neptune is the only planet in our solar system that is not visible to the naked eye.

Voyager 2 Image of Neptune

Source: NASA