Neptune

The first planet discovered with math.

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All About Neptune

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This false color photograph of Neptune was made from Voyager 2 images taken through three filters: blue, green, and a filter that passes light at a wavelength that is absorbed by methane gas.

Big Blue

Neptune is about four times winder than Earth.

Illustration showing scale of all four giant planet. Jupiter is largest followed by Saturn. Uranus and Neptune are similar in size.

Number Eight

Neptune is 30 AU from the Sun. Earth = 1 AU.

This photograph of Neptune was reconstructed from two images taken by NASA Voyager 2. At the north top is the Great Dark Spot.

A Neptunian Year

Neptune takes 165 Earth years to go around the Sun.

14 Moons

Named for sea gods and nymphs in Greek mythology.

This image of Neptune south polar region was obtained by NASA Voyager on Aug. 23, 1989. The image shows the discovery of shadows in Neptune atmosphere, shadows cast onto a deep cloud bank by small elevated clouds.

Rings and Arcs

Neptune has five rings and four more ring arcs,

Solo Voyager

Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to visit Neptune.

Bring a Spacesuit

Atmosphere: molecular hydrogen and atomic helium with a bit of methane.

No Signs

Neptune cannot support life as we know it.

Orbit Crossing

Pluto sometimes comes closer to the Sun than Neptune.

Planet Neptune Overview

Dark, cold and whipped by supersonic winds, giant Neptune is the eighth and most distant major planet orbiting our Sun. More than 30 times as far from the Sun as Earth, Neptune is not visible to the naked eye. In 2011, Neptune completed its first 165-year orbit since its discovery.

The planet’s rich blue color comes from methane in its atmosphere, which absorbs red wavelengths of light but allows blue ones to be reflected back into space.

Neptune was the first planet located through mathematical calculations. Using predictions sent him by French astronomer Urbain Le Verrier, based on disturbances in the orbit of Uranus, German asstronomer Johann Galle was first to observe the planet in 1846. The planet is named after the Roman god of the sea, as suggested by Le Verrier.

Eyes on the Solar System lets you explore the planets, their moons, asteroids, comets and the spacecraft exploring them from 1950 to 2050. Ride with the Curiosity Rover as it lands on Mars or fly by Pluto with the New Horizons spacecraft all from the comfort of your home computer.

Neptune Stories

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Neptune

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Pop Culture

Even though Neptune is the farthest planet from our Sun, it's a frequent stop in pop culture and fiction. The planet served as the backdrop for the 1997 science fiction horror film "Event Horizon," while in the cartoon series "Futurama," the character Robot Santa Claus has his home base on Neptune's north pole. "Dr. Who" fans will remember that an episode entitled "Sleep No More" is set on a space station orbiting Neptune. And in the "Star Trek: Enterprise" pilot episode, "Broken Bow," viewers learn that at warp 4.5 speed, it is possible to fly to Neptune and back to Earth in six minutes.