Is Neptune A Water Planet? Curious Solar System Facts Revealed For Kids

Our solar system is made up of eight planets, one dwarf planet, 214 moons, one sun, and billions of stars.

After intense mathematical calculations, the planet Neptune was discovered by Johann Galle in 1846. It is the fourth-largest planet in our solar system, present at a distance of 2.7 billion mi (4.4 billion km) from the Earth, and 2.8 billion mi (4.5 billion km) from the sun.

The name Neptune is derived from the name of the Roman God of the seas - Neptune. Neptune and the planet Uranus are called ice giants because they are rich in water with deep layers of ice or liquid water beneath their thick atmosphere which is predominated by high wind speeds.

The oceans present there are more extensive than the ones present on Earth. Also, Neptune's gravity is around 110% of the gravity on Earth.

Our solar system is divided into two parts. The inner and the outer solar system. Neptune is one of the outer planets.

Just like the other giant planets, Neptune takes a longer time to orbit the sun than Earth. This planet orbits the sun once every 165 Earth years. The planet's rotation on the other hand takes around 16 Earth days.

Another lesser-known fact about Neptune is its planetary rings. Many people think that only Saturn has rings or a ring system. That is not true at all. All the outer planets have rings. Neptune's rings are made up of small rocks and dust.

If you like reading about Neptune, check out other interesting articles on the largest freshwater lake in America and how do water slides work.

Neptune Planet Temperature

The average temperature of Neptune has been recorded at -353 F (-178 C). Much of what is known about Neptune's atmosphere is due to the flyby performed by the space probe Voyager II in 1989.

It was observed that Neptune has a dynamic atmosphere with a shroud of cold clouds. The average temperature of these clouds ranges from -240- -330 F (-115- -165 C) and they are ever-changing and circle the planet rapidly.

Even though Neptune is the most distant planet, it is not the coldest planet in the solar system. That honor goes to Uranus.

Neptune is of one the ice giants because of the massive distance between it and the sun, due to which it receives very little to no heat. But, more importantly, the factor that plays a bigger role in controlling the temperature of Neptune is its interior motion.

Neptune Planet Weather

The weather on Neptune is highly erratic, consisting of huge storms and extremely high winds. Its atmosphere consists of ever-changing dark spots and cirrus-like clouds.

This weather is due to the low intensity of sunlight that the planet receives. The weather on Earth is a result of the amount of sunlight received from the sun, but Neptune, being far away receives a thousand times less sunlight than Earth. Apart from this, the reason for such erratic weather conditions on Neptune still remains a mystery.

Neptune Planet Surface Conditions

The surface of Neptune is not solid in nature.

Its atmosphere is made up of Hydrogen, Helium, and Methane which extends to great depths, gradually merging with the water and the ice. The core however is solid, and about the same size as that of the earth.

In general, Neptune is said to not have a surface at all. Astronomers define a planetary surface as the point where the atmospheric pressure reaches 1 bar, but due to the ever-changing nature of Neptune's atmosphere, this is not possible.

Can you land on Neptune?

To date, it is not possible to land on Neptune.

Neptune is an ice giant and the most distant planet from the sun. Its surface temperatures have been recorded at around -353 F (-178 C). It has been observed that Neptune has no solid surface.

Its surface is made up of ice particles and a water layer. The atmosphere is deep and consists of gases like Hydrogen, Helium, and Methane. Till now nobody can land on the planet because of the gaseous layers of the outer atmosphere.

Did you know?

Even though Neptune has a lot of water on its surface, it will be impossible to swim there because of the ever-changing nature of the atmosphere. Someone who attempts the feat would get sucked into the planet until they reach the core, or until their bones get crushed due to the intense pressure.

Even though Neptune does have a solid core, standing there will not be possible due to the harsh and erratic weather conditions on the planet.

The ice giant Neptune is mostly made up of water and ice. More than 80% of the planet's mass consists of dense fluid materials like liquid water, methane, and ammonia. The planet's mantel is made up of a water-ammonia ocean, and below it lies a solid rocky core.

Neptune has a total of 14 moons. The largest moon is named Triton. Neptune's moons are made up of water ice mixed with some complex organic compounds.

Neptune is the only planet in our solar system that is not visible to the naked eye from Earth.

For surviving on Neptune, a source of energy is required along with a standing surface and habitable temperatures. But Neptune is a planet devoid of all this so it is not quite possible to survive there.

The planet Neptune is blue in color, with cold temperatures at a distance greater than 2.48 billion mi (4 billion km) from the sun.

Neptune and Uranus are called ice giants because their surface is comprised of ice and water with surface temperatures well below freezing point. This happens because these planets are farthest away from the sun and get the lowest intensity of sunlight.

To date, it is known that Neptune cannot support light. To support light a source of energy is mandatory, which is impossible for Neptune as it is the farthest planet from the sun.

Neptune is the second coldest planet in the solar system with temperatures recorded at almost -353 F (-178 C).

The blue color of Neptune is due to the absorption of red and infrared light by the Methane present in the atmosphere.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy!

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