6 Weird Facts About Neptune
Our solar system is filled with weird and confusing creations. The whole universe is still a mystery. But that doesn’t mean we don’t know a good amount about the planets that orbit around our sun. For instance, we have a few weird facts about Neptune that you probably don’t know about, from the reason behind it’s blue coloring to its powerful winds. If you want to learn more about our small gas giant, then keep reading.
6. One Year on Neptune
When you look at other planets in our solar system, one of the most interesting ideas is how long a year is compared to Earth. And for Neptune, it might be staggering to know that one year there is 165 years on Earth. Since Neptune is the farther planet from the sun, it also has the longest orbit out of all eight planets. What’s even more crazy? While Neptune takes forever to orbit the sun, one day only lasts about 16 hours, as Neptune spins faster than Earth.
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5. The Surface of Neptune
But what about standing on the surface of Neptune? Is that possible? Unfortunately, it would be impossible to stand on the planet, as it’s a gas giant, meaning it doesn’t have a solid surface. The mantle of Neptune is a layer of water, ammonia, silica, and methane ice which acts as the closest thing to a surface. But what of the many weird facts about Neptune you probably didn’t know about is that Neptune’s gravitation force is just 14% stronger than Earth’s. While not the strongest in our solar system, it would be hard to walk and you’d feel a lot heavier.
Also Read: Weird Facts About Earth You May Not Know
4. It’s Blue Coloring
Some planets in our solar system have very distinct coloring. For instance, Mars is bright red, making it visible in the sky at night, while Neptune is blue, although not visible to the naked eye in the sky. But what gives Neptune that color? It’s actually from methane gas. As sunlight moves through Neptune’s atmosphere, methane gas absorbs the red portion of light, leaving the planet with an intense vibrant blue color.
3. Neptune’s Moons
Imagine a splattering of moons hanging above the sky at night. Unlucky for us, we only have one, while other planets like Neptune have an abundance. One of the many weird facts about Neptune is that it has 13 moons. The largest moon is known as Triton. Interestingly enough, Triton is the only moon in the solar system that orbits its planet in the opposite direction. This makes NASA believe that Triton used to be an independent object before it was captured by Neptune’s gravitational pull.
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2. Powerful Winds
Another one of the many weird facts about Neptune is that the winds on the planet are incredibly powerful. At high altitudes, wind speeds on Neptune can reach up to 1,200 miles per hour. To put this in perspective, the fastest wind speed ever recorded on Earth was 253 miles per hour during Tropical Cyclone Olivia in 1996 in Australia. The winds on Neptune are so fast that they are capable of breaking the sound barrier, which equals 761.2 miles per hour.
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1. Neptune Also Had a Storm
Jupiter isn’t the only solar system with a raging storm. One of the many weird facts about Neptune is that it has an oval-shaped storm known as the Great Dark Spot in its southern hemisphere. The storm grew larger than Earth and was first observed by NASA’s Voyager 2 in 1989. But unlike Jupiter’s storm which rages for hundreds of years, Neptune’s storms seem to only last a few years or so.
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