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Neptune

Neptune. Introduction. Neptune is one of the mysterious distant planets on the outer reaches of the solar system. Neptune is the 8 th and final planet from the sun excluding dwarf planets. Neptune is a gas giant. Neptune is 30.06 AU (4,497,000,000km)from the Sun. Theory 2. Formation.

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Neptune

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  1. Neptune

  2. Introduction Neptune is one of the mysterious distant planets on the outer reaches of the solar system. Neptune is the 8th and final planet from the sun excluding dwarf planets. Neptune is a gas giant. Neptune is 30.06 AU (4,497,000,000km)from the Sun.

  3. Theory 2 Formation This theory suggests that Neptune formed closer to Proto-Jupiter and Proto-Saturn and when Jupiter attained it’s large gas envelop it blew both Neptune and Uranus into their current orbits with the core already formed. It is unknown exactly how Neptune was created, since both Neptune and Uranus do not fit the regular creation models. Theory 1 The problem is that the outer Solar System’s density was not heavy enough to allow for core accretion. This theory suggests that Neptune originally formed with an atmosphere that protected the core but the atmosphere was later blown away by radiation.

  4. Mythology • Neptune was the Roman God of the sea and earthquakes (Greek God was called Poseidon). After the defeat of their father Saturn (Kronos), sons, Jupiter (Zeus), Neptune and Pluto (Hades) divided up the world into three. Jupiter became ruler of the sky and in turn the ruler of all other Gods. Neptune the Sea and Pluto ruled over the Underworld. • Neptune is said to have a violent temper, carries a trident , is bearded and rides around on a sea shell pulled by hippocamps (sea horses). • Creator of horses and has immortalized dolphins by placing it in the heavens as the constellation dolphinus. • Neptune has many children with the water nymph Amphitrite. One is Triton which is the name of Neptune’s largest moon, named by William Lassell in 1846.

  5. Exploring Neptune Neptune Triton

  6. Voyager 2 Neptune Flyby: August 25th1989 The Voyager 2 mission was launched in August 20th1977 and traveled to the four outer planets. It reached Neptune by 1989 and is still suspended beyond Neptune.

  7. Neptune from the Hubble Space Telescope

  8. Scientists discovered Neptune because of Uranus. Uranus did not seem to follow Newton’s Laws in it’s orbit and the only sensible solution would be the presence of a planet beyond Uranus. Discovery Urbain Jean Adams and Joseph Le Verrier predicted Neptune’s orbit based on Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus September 23, 1846 Johann Gottfried Galle and Louis d'Arrest were the first to observe Neptune. Since Neptune’s orbit is more eccentric then predicted it was lucky to spot Neptune during the very brief time it synced with the predicted orbit.

  9. Size Neptune is about 4times bigger then Earth Density: 1638 kg/cm3 Mass:1.0241 x 1026 kg Circumference : 1.54705 x 105 km Radius: 2.4622 x 104 km Surface Area: 7.6183 x 109 km2 Volume:6.25257 x 1013 km3 Mass(Earth =1): 17.135 Surface Gravity (Earth=1): 1.12 Neptune is 36864 km larger in diameter then Earth

  10. Rotational periods Length of Year: 165 Earth years Length of Day: 19 hours and 12 minutes Orbital Velocity: 5.45km/s Orbital Eccentricity: 0.0097 Rotational Period at Equator: 16 hours and 16 minutes

  11. Neptune’s atmosphere not only contains Hydrogen, Helium and Methane but small amounts of Hydrogen Deuteride (HD) and ethane (C2H6). Chemical Composition

  12. Physical Structure

  13. Surface Conditions (Environment) • Since Neptune is a gas giant, it has no physical surface detectable. The blue-green surface that can be seen in photographs is actually the clouds that exist on the surface. If a person were some how able to go beneath the surface, they would find layers of increasingly hot gas or liquid surrounding a small rocky center. • The air within the atmosphere is very similar to car smog on earth, meaning thick, dense and hot. • Energy on Neptune springs from lightening, charged particles and ultraviolet light. • Interestingly, this atmosphere is comparable to the earths atmosphere at the time life is theorized to have began but the lack of solid ground makes it inhospitable. • Temperature: -214 degrees C or59 K

  14. Neptune’s Moons

  15. Neptune’s Moons Continued …

  16. Triton Revolution:5 earth days 21 hours Composition: 2/3 rock and 1/3 ice Voyager 2 spotted dark smoke plumes erupting from geysers or vents on Triton’s surface. The cause is unknown but this smoke could be used to measure the underground structures of Triton FACT: TRITON’S orbit is retrograde, meaning it travels backwards in compared to every other moon in the solar system

  17. Naiad One of Neptune’s smallest moons discovered by Voyager 2, much too small to be seen from Earth even with a telescope. Naiad actually orbits so close to Neptune it is within Neptune’s rings. It crosses through the rings, above the rings on one side and below on the opposing side. Naiad ‘shepherds’ or keeps the rings in order, by guiding particles in complex, thin ring patterns. Naiad has many dark craters because it is often hit by ring particles. Naiad only takes 7.2 hours to orbit Neptune.

  18. Neptune’s Rings

  19. The Great Dark Spot • Similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot, Neptune also has a Dark Spot. • The Spot is actually a storm and unlike Jupiter’s, it moves across the planet at about 300 meters/second. You could almost fit one Earth in Neptune’s spot. The wind around the Spot is the fastest measured at about 2000km/h The Spot actually disappeared in 1994 and a NEW Spot appeared later that same year!

  20. The Second Spot sighted by the Voyager 2 that has now disappeared. The Great Dark Spot Neptune is a very ideal place for storms and lightening to occur. It is constantly covered in clouds.

  21. Fun Facts • Neptune became the last planet in our solar system after Pluto was re-categorized. • The forth largest planet in our solar system. • A cloud called the Scooter moves around Neptune every 16 hours. • Occasionally Neptune orbits further away from the sun than Pluto, but returned to regular orbit in December 1999. • Since it’s discovery in 1846, Neptune has yet to complete an orbit. • Neptune’s gravity is only 14% stronger then earth’s gravity, a barely noticeable difference.

  22. Test Questions 4) What is the surface temperature of Neptune? (a) 59 K (b) 11 K (c) 2 C (d) 1476 K 5) Neptune was a Roman God. What was he a God of? (a) The Sky (b) The Sea (c) Wisdom and Battle strategy (d) Love 1) How many moons’ does Neptune have? (a) None (b) 25 (c) 13 (d) 2 2) Neptune was discovered by; (a) John Couch Adams (b) UrbainLeVerrier (c) Johann Galle (d) all of the above 3) How far away from the Sun is Neptune? (a) 1.6 AU (b) 23 cm (c) 30.06 AU (d) 4,000,000,000 km

  23. True or False False • 1) Neptune is one of the four planets that do not have rings of particles that orbit them. • 2) Voyager 1 revealed during its flyby that Neptune has faint rings and many moons. • 3) Neptune is the last planet in our solar system. • 4) Naiad is one of Neptune’s largest moons. • 5) Neptune was discovered in 1846. False True False True

  24. Matching D G Triton A) The furthest ring from Neptune HydrogenB) The date Neptune will have competed its first orbit since discovered. Uranus C) Neptune’s smallest moon. Adams D) Neptune’s largest moon. Naiad E) A storm found on Neptune, similar of Jupiter’s Giant Red Spot. Dark Spot F) The Planet used to calculate Neptune’s estimated orbit. September 23rd 2011 G) What 80% of Neptune’s atmosphere is made of. F A C E B

  25. References • Caprara, G. (2003). The solar system. Toronto: FireFly Books Ltd. • Miller, R. (2005). The grand tour - a travalers guide to the solar system. New York: Workman Publishing. • Erickson, K. (2011, March 10). Solar system exploration. Retrieved from http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/index.cfm • Neptune Statictics. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.windows2universe.org/neptune/statistics.html • Hamilton, C.J. (2009). Neptune. Retrieved from http://www.solarviews.com/eng/neptune.htm By: Melissa Rushton, and Rebecca Carew

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