NEPTUNE
The fourth largest planet is Neptune. It is precisely 49,528 km in diameter.
Neptune’s ocean is methane a cold colourless, odourless flammable liquid gas makes it appear a shining blue colour to look at. In addition, its surface itself is blue. And there is a tiny layer of rings around its outer surface.
It is the eighth planet from the sun, about 4500 million km away. A couple of scientists by name, Verrier from France and John Couch Adams of England had discovered Neptune in the year 1846. The only phenomenon about this planet is that, Neptune is yet to complete one orbit around the sun right from the period it was discovered in 1846! This is because it is the eighth planet from the sun and that it takes nearly 165 years to complete one orbit!
The temperature of the icy cold methane is -210 degree C. And its moon, Triton is the coldest place. It is the only moon that orbits in reverse. The minimum temperature being – 236 degree C! It is multi-coloured: blue and white clouds across. This was due to the heat generated in the planet.
It is the windiest planet in the solar system with the wind speed blowing up to 4200 meter per minute! The amusing thing about Neptune is that, all the eight moons here are named after the Greek mythology characters, viz. Galatea, Naiad, Despoina, Proteus, Thalassa, Larissa, Nereid and Triton!
There is a great dark spot in the middle of this planet. It is here that hurricanes blow at high speed, kicking up the clouds. It is in Neptune’s moon, Triton, there is a volcano that erupts, spewing showers of fire balls. A study says that the biggest moon of this planet, Trion is slowly drifting towards the planet itself and after about 10 million years time; it might break up and form a ring around that planet. The geyser in the moon expels frozen nitrogen gas.
