Characteristics of Neptune, a planet with extreme temperature and pressure

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Neptune is the eighth planet in the solar system, being the farthest from the Sun. Due to its great distance from Earth, daylight on Neptune would appear like twilight. Although it is the fourth largest planet, Neptune cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The large blue planet takes 16 hours to rotate. With an axis of rotation tilted 28 degrees relative to its orbit, Neptune also experiences seasons like on Earth. Well, let's look at the characteristics of the planet Neptune below!

1. The farthest planet from the Sun

Neptune is four times larger than Earth. As it is the eighth planet in the solar system, Neptune certainly has the farthest distance from the Sun compared to other planets. Scientists calculate this distance using a special unit called the Astronomical Unit (AU), where 1 AU is equivalent to the distance between Earth and the Sun.

Neptune is located about 30 AU from the Sun, or approximately 4.5 billion kilometers (2.8 billion miles). Due to its great distance, sunlight takes about 4 hours to reach this planet. Imagine, sunlight which only takes 8 minutes to reach Earth, must travel four times longer to reach Neptune.

2. Has 16 natural satellites

All planets in the solar system have different numbers of natural satellites. Satellites, also called moons, are distinguished into two types: natural satellites formed by nature and artificial satellites created by humans. Neptune itself is known to have 16 moons, with the largest one named Triton.

As Neptune's large natural satellite, Triton orbits the planet in a retrograde direction, opposite to the planet's rotation. It has a cold surface temperature of about minus 391 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 235 degrees Celsius). NASA's space program, Voyager, discovered geysers that eject icy material more than 5 miles (8 kilometers) above the surface.

3. Having five rings and four ring bends

So far, Neptune is known to have five main rings and four ring arcs. The rings named Galle, Leverrier, Lassell, Arago, and Adams also have clumps of dust called arcs. It is estimated that these rings are relatively young and cannot last long.

Four protruding arcs or curves named Liberté (Freedom), Egalité (Equality), Fraternité (Brotherhood), and Courage located in the outermost ring, Adams. Instead of being evenly distributed like a typical ring, the material in these arcs appears to gather at certain points. Scientists believe that the gravitational pull from Galatea helps stabilize the arcs in the ring.

4. Solid surface and an atmosphere largely composed of hydrogen and helium

Neptune does not have a solid surface like Earth. Its thick atmosphere, dominated by hydrogen and helium with a trace of methane, extends far into the depths. Gradually, this atmosphere blends into the surrounding ocean of liquid water and other liquids encircling the denser and heavier core of the planet, which has a mass almost equivalent to that of Earth.

Although Neptune is located very far from the Sun and receives little energy, it is the planet with the strongest winds in the solar system. Wind speeds on Neptune can reach nine times the speed of winds on Earth. Additionally, in the southern hemisphere of Neptune, a large oval-shaped storm, dubbed the "Great Dark Spot," appeared in 1989.

In short, the environment on Neptune does not support life as we know it on Earth. This is because the temperature, pressure, and materials present on Neptune are unstable and extreme. Additionally, scientists suspect there are superheated water oceans beneath Neptune's cold clouds.

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