Neptune
By Lydia Eifert
Neptune's Design
Neptune, named after the Roman god, is the smallest of the gas giants. It is cloud covered with a rocky core. It's atmosphere is made of helium, hydrogen, and methane. Neptune's winds reach up to 1,500 miles per hour. Neptune has a very active climate with storms and winds. Neptune has 13 confirmed moons and one unconfirmed moon. The 13 confirmed moons are named after sea gods of Greek mythology. We believe that Neptune cannot support life.
Measurments
Neptune is 2.8 million miles away from the sun. The rotation time of Neptune is 16 hours and the orbit time of Neptune is 165 earth days. It has an average temperature of -353 degrees Fahrenheit. It is known as the sister ice giant to Uranus.
History of Neptune
Neptune was discovered on September 23, 1846 by Urbain Le Verrier, John Couch Adams, and Johann Galle. Previously Galileo Galilei had drawn Neptune thinking it as a star before it was discovered. Voyager 2 was the only spacecraft to visit or pass Neptune bringing back images. In 2011 Neptune had finished it's first orbit since it was discovered.