Planet Neptune and the Solar System

Studying the eight planets of the solar system is not only fun, but also a good way to learn about the mysteries of space and how the solar system came to be. The planets and the stars can also help us learn about the planet Earth. Things we have learned from other planets include: how old the planet Earth is and what elements make it sustain life. The planet Neptune is planet number 8 in relation to its proximity to the sun, and is also the 4th largest planet in our solar system. Other facts about Neptune include that it is smaller than the planet Uranus in diameter but larger than Uranus in overall mass. Neptune is also named after the Roman god of the Sea.

Neptune is an interesting planet to study as its discovery stimulated much curiosity about its orbit, the moons and the stars around it. When it was first discovered its orbit was so off, that researchers came up with the notion that there must be another planet that contributed to Neptune’s strange orbit around the solar system. Other facts about Neptune soon surfaced after its discovery, such as its chemical composition and surface composition. Neptune was discovered to be similar to Uranus because of their similar ice and rock compositions on their surfaces. Neptune also appears blue because of the high methane content in its atmosphere which absorbs red light. In addition to this, Neptune is a relatively huge planet with a rocky core that is about the same size as Earth making this planet a mammoth compared to Earth. In fact the planet has a prominent Great Dark Spot that is about half the complete diameter of Earth, but only makes up a small percentage of Neptune’s overall body mass. These facts about Neptune make it a very interesting planet to study right here at DigablePlanets.org.