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Neptune
This is the planet Neptune and its largest moon at one 10-billionth of its size.
If Neptune were this big, how far away would the Sun and other planets be? Look at the map on the lower panel to find your position in the solar system.
Voyage to Neptune
A stunning blue world with a system of rings and at least 13 moons. Neptune shines in the sky above its largest moon, Triton. The face of Neptune is not an ocean of water, but an atmosphere of mostly hydrogen and helium. The blue color is due to the methane gas in the atmosphere.
A Fiercely Windy World
Neptune is the windiest planet in the solar system, with gales tearing across its face at more than 1,000 mph (1,600 km/hr) and dark, swirling storms as big as Earth. We don't yet understand what powers such extreme weather here in the frigid outer reaches of the solar system.
Triton: Giant Geysers
Neptune's moon Triton (left) is a frigid world with a thin atmosphere. The surface temperature is -390°F (-230°C), yet active Geysers spew crystallized nitrogen and dust miles into the sky. Winds draw the geyser plumes into long clouds, and an icy rain coats the surface.
Walk to Uranus about 246 steps
Imagine
Like Earth, Neptune has four seasons. Each season is 41 Earth years long.
Walk to Pluto about 207 steps
Voyage is an exhibition of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Smithsonian Institution. It is designed for permanent installation in communities worldwide.
In the real solar system, the planets never line up as they orbit the Sun. |