Neptune: Big Blue Giant
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.
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.
