Why are Planets Different Colors?
By Finley Alexander
Why
I wanted to know why the planets are different colors because I was curious on what gave the planets their color. I wanted know why each planet has a different color.
Mars
Mars is an orange color because of it is covered with a fine dust made up of iron dioxide, or rust.
Saturn
Saturn is a gas-giant with an outer atmosphere made mostly of helium and hydrogen. Other elements include traces of phospine, ammonia, hydrocarbons, and water vapor which give it its’ yellow-brown color.
Neptune
Neptune has an atmosphere made of hydrogen and helium. It also contains methane gas which gives it the blueish color.
How do we know this?
We know what the planets’ surfaces and atmospheres are made of using different methods. For planets like Mars and Venus, man-made robots were sent to study the surface of those planets. For gas-giants, such as Jupiter, atmospheric probes have been dropped into the planets.
Scientists also use a tool called a spectrometer. A spectrometer is a tool that take a signal from the object they are looking at. Most spectrometers use light and work like a prism. They are able to separate colors which then are matched to different elements.
Conclusion
The planets’ colors are based how their atmosphere and landscape absorb and reflect sunlight. The color also has to do with what elements their surface and atmosphere are made of.