The exploration of Neptune
Scientists in the late 18th century were perplexed by their observations of the planet Uranus: it wasn’t where it ought to be! Unexplained discrepancies between its true and theoretical orbital positions suggested that it was being affected by the gravititional pull of a more distant, unknown body.
In 1846, using calculations from 2 other scientists, a German astronomer made the first ever observations of the planet responsible for this anomoly and named it Neptune.
In 1846, using calculations from 2 other scientists, a German astronomer made the first ever observations of the planet responsible for this anomoly and named it Neptune.
We didn’t gain any real insight into Neptune until the US probe Voyager 2 made a final-stage approach in August 1989, making it the most distant planet to have been visited by a space probe. Passing just 5,000 kilometres above Neptune’s clouds, Voyager 2 discovered it was another “blue planet” since methane in its atmosphere absorbs the red rays of sunlight.
Measurements taken at that time enabled us to calculate the planet’s size, mass, composition, temperature and rotational velocity.
No further exploratory missions to Neptune are currently scheduled.
| If you were on Neptune… |
|
…you’d be unable to breathe due to the low levels of oxygen and high levels of methane; …you wouldn’t be able to see the Sun, stars or Neptune’s satellites through the thick cloud cover; …you’d be swept away by violent winds of up to 1,000 kilometres per hour; …you’d freeze, since atmospheric temperatures are around – 200 °C. |
