Celestial Objects
Neptune
Also Known As Poseidon (Greek) · Ice Giant
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The outermost known planet, an ice giant with the fastest winds in the solar system, reaching over 2,000 kilometers per hour. Neptune is notable as the first planet located by mathematical prediction, from irregularities in Uranus's orbit, before it was directly observed.
Facts
Diameter (km) Orbital Distance30.1 AU (about 4.50 billion km) from the Sun 1 Discovery Year Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Made the only close flyby of Neptune, in August 1989.
Orbited By
Sources
1. NASA Solar System Exploration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
1. NASA Solar System Exploration
National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationOrbited By: Triton, science.nasa.gov, Neptune Moons: Triton
2. Encyclopedia Britannica: Space Exploration
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.
Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationNeptune, Wikipedia - name sectionQuote, Neptune, Wikipedia - name section
In Roman mythology, Neptune was the god of the sea, identified with the Greek Poseidon.
Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationNeptune, Wikipedia - lead sectionQuote, Neptune, Wikipedia - lead section
Neptune, like Uranus, is an ice giant, a subclass of giant planet, because they are smaller and have higher concentrations of volatiles than Jupiter and Saturn.
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