![]() This oval-shaped, counterclockwise-spinning "Great Dark Spot" was large enough to contain the entire Earth, and moved westward at nearly 750 mph (1,200 km/h). (Image credit: NASA / Jet Propulsion Lab) (opens in new tab) The dark boundary of the storm and the surrounding white cirrus clouds suggests its is moving in a counterclockwise rotation. The planet's cloud cover has an especially vivid blue tint that is partly due to an as-yet-unidentified compound and the result of the absorption of red light by methane in the planet's mostly hydrogen-helium atmosphere.Ī closeup of Neptune's Great Dark Spot taken by Voyager 2. However, Neptune is a spheroid shape, meaning that it bulges around its equator, making the the radius to the pole slightly smaller. Neptune is the fourth largest planet in the solar system, with a radius 15,599.4 miles (24,622 kilometres) - the distance between its core and the surface. Astronomers are still trying to figure out at what point a planet is so large that it may pick up a lot of gas in the area, making it difficult or impossible for life to exist. Like Earth, Neptune has a rocky core, but it has a much thicker atmosphere that prohibits the existence of life as we know it. Specifically, astronomers are interested in learning about the habitability of worlds that are bigger than Earth. While Neptune is of interest because it is in our own solar system, astronomers are also interested in learning more about the planet to assist with exoplanet studies. Today, there are still many mysteries about the cool, blue planet, such as why its winds are so speedy and why its magnetic field is offset. Only one mission has flown by Neptune - Voyager 2 in 1989. Keck Observatory, have recorded these rapidly evolving cloud features over the years," said the NASA release.In accordance with all the other planets seen in the sky, and as suggested by Le Verrier, this new world was given a name from Greek and Roman mythology - Neptune, the Roman god of the sea. ![]() Images from other observatories, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the W.M. Such methane-ice clouds are prominent as bright streaks and spots, which reflect sunlight before it is absorbed by methane gas. "In fact, the methane gas so strongly absorbs red and infrared light that the planet is quite dark at these near-infrared wavelengths, except where high-altitude clouds are present. Take in Webb's ghostly, ethereal views of the planet and its dust bands, rings and moons: #IAC2022 /17QNXj23ow- NASA Webb Telescope September 21, 2022īut in the Near-Infrared Camera image from Webb, Neptune does not appear blue because it captures light in the near-infrared range. ![]() Webb's latest image is the clearest look at Neptune's rings in 30+ years, and our first time seeing them in infrared light. And it appears blue due to small amounts of gaseous methane. Compared to gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, ice giant Neptune is much richer in elements that are heavier than hydrogen and helium. The planet is characterised as an ice giant because its interiors are made up of chemicals. For Neptune, the sun is so distant, small and faint that it appears as a dim twilight. ![]() Did you know, Neptune is located 30 times farther from the Sun than Earth? It orbits in the remote, dark region of the outer solar system. It was discovered by researchers in 1846 and since then it has fascinated and perplexed researchers. In a NASA release, Heidi Hammel, a Neptune system expert and interdisciplinary scientist for Webb, said, “It has been three decades since we last saw these faint, dusty rings, and this is the first time we've seen them in the infrared." The images perfectly capture the faint rings of the planet. According to the American space agency, Webb has not just captured the clearest view of this distant planet's rings since the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew by it in 1989, but its cameras reveal the ice giant in a whole new light. The picture features Neptune and its rings. NASA took to Twitter to share the recently released James Webb Space Telescope images with the world. ![]()
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