Neptune is one of the planets in our solar system that has received the least attention and “affection” from both the media and experts, but that does not mean that it is a boring world, far from it.
Currently Neptune remains as the most distant planet of those that make up the solar system (always in order of proximity to the Sun), since it previously corresponded to Pluto, until it ended up in the category of dwarf planet.
As we have mentioned in the title of this article, we are going to compile ten surprising facts about this distant world of gas and ice, which as we know shares its name with the Roman god of the sea (Poseidon in Greek mythology).
1.- It is a bluish ball of ice and gas with freezing temperatures
Many believe that Neptune is a pure gas giant, but like Uranus, it has many differences from those that fit perfectly into that category, such as Jupiter and Saturn.
The most important is that the lower layers of the planet are composed of large amounts of ice, which has led experts to classify it in the category of frozen giant.
That deep blue color it displays is due to traces of methane found in the outer peripheral regions. Its temperature can reach up to 100 °C. -224 degrees.
2.- It has sixteen moons, one of them with a “surprise”
As is often the case with large planets, Neptune has a large number of satellites. Experts have identified 16 remediesalthough the figure could be higher since it has not been definitively closed.
Of those moons Triton It is the only one that has a completely spherical shape and it is believed that it was originally a dwarf planet which ended up giving in to the pull of the ice giant’s gravity field.
Triton has been confirmed to be a rocky and icy body, making it very similar to Pluto, and also has volcanic activity. It is the coldest of all known bodies in the solar system, with temperatures of -235 degrees.
3.- It is the densest planet of the gas giants in the solar system
Our blue neighbor is the farthest from the Sun, but it is also the fourth largest in the solar system (third by mass) and the densest of the gas giants.
Its mass is seventeen times greater than that of the Earth, and it is also much larger than our planet, as we can see in the accompanying comparative image to scale.
To help you compare better, we give you two facts: the Earth has an equatorial diameter of 12,742 kilometers and Neptune reaches 1,000 kilometers. 49.244 km.
4.- Its gravity is similar to that of Earth
As we said, this ice giant does not fit into the category of a pure gas giant, but it has things in common with those, and one of them is that in theory we could not step on its surfacewe would sink until we reached its solid core.
However, the force of gravity that would attract us to the core of the planet is very similar to the one we have on Earth.
According to the most recent studies, the gravity of Neptune It only exceeds that of the Earth by 17%This is possible because although it has 17 times more mass, it is also four times larger (in diameter), which means that the mass is distributed and not as concentrated.
5.- It has the most powerful winds in the solar system
Do you think a tornado is scary? Yes, of course, since we are talking about winds of more than 480 kilometers per hour, but with that in mind, imagine what a current of winds can do at 2,400 kilometers per hour.
That is the speed they reach on Neptune, and according to experts it is possible due to the low friction that exists in the planet’s atmosphere, a result of low temperatures and the continuous flow of gases.
6.- One year on Neptune is equivalent to 165 Earth years
The year in our blue neighbor, understood as the time it takes to complete one revolution around the Sun, is equivalent to 165 years on Earth.
This means that a human would not live a full year on Neptune, and based on current life expectancy would not even make it to half a Neptunian year.
However, a day lasts only a short time. 16 hours and 6 minutesdue to the high speed of the planet on its own axis. A day on Earth lasts 24 hours, so we can clearly see the difference.
7.- It has rings, but very faint
Like other large planets such as Jupiter, the planet of the god of the sea has rings, although they are very faint and weak.
They are composed mostly of particles and debris of dust and rock, with a carbon base that makes them more similar to those of Jupiter than to those of Saturn or Uranus.
In total, they have been identified five rings with very different sizesThe smallest are around 100 kilometres wide, while the largest reach 5,000 kilometres.
8.- Its climate is extreme and very active
Gas giants are known for having very active and large storms, and Neptune is no exception.
We have already seen that its winds can reach 2,400 kilometres per hour, but in addition, areas have been identified where enormous storm clusters with impressive consequences are produced.
One of them was named as «The Great Dark Spot»an area that was compared to Jupiter’s “Great Red Spot” but was eventually assimilated as a large depression in Neptune’s atmosphere. Its size was similar to that of Earth.
9.- It is a little “unknown” even for experts
It is clear that we know things about Neptune and that it is not a complete stranger to us, but until 1989 the data we had about this planet was minimal.
That year was marked by the visit to the planet of the Voyager 2 probewhich helped us to get to know this gas giant a little better and to obtain important data and information.
However, there have been no subsequent missions to continue its study, and there are still no plans to do so.
10.- It is very far away and could have a core with huge diamonds
We know that it is the last planet in the solar system and that it therefore takes a long time to get there, but do you know how long?
We can’t give you an exact figure, but at the time the Voyager 2 mission (launched in 1977) It took 12 years to arriveNew Horizons, launched in 2006, took nine years to reach Pluto, which is even farther away than Neptune.
Finally, another curious fact is that it is believed that the core of Neptune could be made up of giant diamondsalthough it would be impossible to achieve them, at least with current means.
11.- It was the first planet located through mathematical calculations
And this is very curious, because as I told you before, until relatively recently it was a little-known planet even for the most experts. Its discovery It occurred in 1846 by Johann Galle, although the merit was not all his, since he used mathematical calculations and predictions made by Urbain Le Verrier.
The name given to this planet was suggested by Le Verrier, who chose to call it Neptune. in honor of the Roman god of the seaIn Greek mythology, this god is identified as Poseidon, and the truth is that it suits him like a glove given the bluish color of this planet.
12.- It’s not as blue as it seems
Neptune’s atmosphere is mostly made up of hydrogen and heliumaccompanied by a small amount of methane. This configuration of materials is similar to that of Uranus, but in the photos we see that it has a much lighter blue color and even has a small greenish hue, which makes it closer to a turquoise blue color.
In contrast, Neptune has a very intense deep blue color. The methane present on both planets absorbs all colors except blue, and reflects precisely the latter. So why is there such a difference in color between the two? It’s very simple, because the team responsible for the Voyager probe retouched the images to more clearly reveal clouds and other structures on the planet.
The truth is that Both planets have a very similar coloras we can see in the new images shared by the University of Oxford.
13.- Life on Neptune is impossible
Its extreme conditions explain it perfectly, and it is that on this planet the particularities are not given that we can find in others like Venus, for example, where there are layers of its atmosphere that do meet the necessary conditions to host simple life forms, such as extremophile organisms, for example.
Life is impossible on Neptune because its temperatures are too cold, its pressure too high and because the materials that make up this planet are extreme and volatile, which makes it a frozen hell where even the most extreme organisms we know would not have a chance to survive.
14.- The light takes four hours to arrive
As some of our readers will know, light travels at a speed of 299,792,458 meters per seconda staggering figure, especially considering that a Formula 1 car usually reaches 97 metres per second.
Despite such a high speed, Neptune is so far from the sun that The light takes four hours to arriveThis means that it is located approximately 4.5 billion kilometers from the Sun, which is equivalent to 30 astronomical units.
15.- Its magnetic field is 27 times stronger than that of the Earth
This is logical considering that it is an ice giant. The main axis of this magnetic field It is tilted at about 47 degrees compared to the axis of rotation of this planet, as occurs with other similar planets, such as Uranus, which has the magnetic axis inclined at 60 degrees with respect to the axis of rotation.
This tilt has a significant impact on the planet’s magnetosphere, causing it to experience extreme variations during its rotation period, something that does not happen on Earth, whose magnetic field has an inclination of only 11.5 degrees with respect to the head of rotation.
Links of interest: MC Specials.
Cover image: NASA.
Source: www.muycomputer.com
