Astronomy Picture of the Day
    


Neptune: Big Blue Giant
<< Yesterday 21.02.1998 Tomorrow >>
Neptune: Big Blue Giant
Credit & Copyright: Voyager 2, NASA
Explanation: This picture was taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989 - the only spacecraft ever to visit Neptune. Neptune will be the farthest planet from the Sun until 1999, when the elliptical orbit of Pluto will cause it to once again resume this status. Neptune, like Uranus, is composed mostly of liquid water, methane and ammonia, is surrounded by a thick gas atmosphere of mostly hydrogen and helium, and has many moons and rings. Neptune's moon Triton is unlike any other and has active volcanoes. The nature of Triton's unusual orbit around Neptune is the focus of much discussion and speculation.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
 < February 1998  >
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su






1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
232425262728
Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Based on Astronomy Picture Of the Day

Publications with keywords: Neptune - Solar System
Publications with words: Neptune - Solar System
See also:
All publications on this topic >>