What is Neptune?
Q: What is Neptune?
A: Neptune is the eighth and last planet from the Sun in the Solar System. It is an ice giant and the fourth-largest planet in the system.
Q: Does Neptune have rings?
A: Yes, Neptune has five rings which are hard to see from Earth.
Q: How does Neptune compare to Uranus in terms of mass and size?
A: Neptune has 17 times more mass than Earth and a little bit more mass than Uranus. It is also denser and physically smaller than Uranus, with its greater mass causing more gravitational compression of its atmosphere.
Q: Who named Neptune after the Roman god of the sea?
A: The planet was named after the Roman god of the sea, Neptune, by astronomers Urbain Le Verrier and John Couch Adams.
Q: What makes up most of Neptune's atmosphere?
A: Most of Neptune's atmosphere is made up of hydrogen and helium, with small amounts of methane which give it a blue color that is darker than Uranus'.
Q: What was discovered about Uranus' orbit that led to discovery of another planet nearby?
A: In 1821, it was found that Uranus' orbit had some differences from its expected orbit, which meant another planet was nearby. This led to discovery of what we now know as Neptune.
Q: When did Voyager 2 visit Nepture?
A:Voyager 2 visited Nepture on 25 August 1989 - making it the only spacecraft to ever do so.
