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Mission STS-97

Neptune

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Neptune

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Neptune and Uranus are very much alike; they are both large gas planets that look like big blue-green balls in the sky. Nearly 4.5 billion kilometres from the Sun, Neptune orbits the sun once in 165 years. Interestingly, due to Pluto’s unusual elliptical orbit, Neptune is actually the furthermost planet from the Sun every 248 Earth years.

Seasons on Neptune last 40 years. Like Uranus, during the summer, one of the poles is in constant sunlight while the other is in perpetual darkness. Sun
 
Cold temperatures Neptune has eight known moons. Triton, the largest moon, orbits Neptune in a direction opposite to the planet’s rotation direction. Triton is the coldest body yet visited in our solar system with temperatures of about -235° C.

How heavy would you be on Neptune?

If you weigh 34 kg (75 lb) you would weigh 38 kg (84 lb) on Neptune. To calculate your weight, all you have to do is multiply your weight (kilos or pounds) by 1,125. Balance

How old would you be?

Birthday cake If you are 10 years old this year, you would be 6383 days old or not even one year old on Neptune!


Updated: 2000/11/30 Important Notices