Neptune: The Planet

1600 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The planet Neptune

Roughly, 30.1 AU (astronomical units) from the Sun (Chaisson & McMillan, 2011 p. 316) there is a cold, dark, lifeless planet. We call this planet Neptune, after the Roman god of the sea. The planet Neptune is a very complex one with many different facets. The following will discuss nearly every aspect of the planet from its history, to the general composition of the planet, and everything in between.

Neptune began just as all the other planets in our solar system did and the condensation theory describes the process of how they formed (Chaisson & McMillan, 2011 p. 147). The basic thought process behind the condensation theory is that when a star is born a dust and gas cloud forms and begins rotating around the parent star, planets are then formed from the accumulation (or condensation) of these materials (Chaisson & McMillan, 2011 pp. 147 & 149). While this is just a basic overview of the theory (and the formation of the planet), it allows us the basic understanding of Neptune’s beginnings. The planet has been around for almost five billion years. However, it was not discovered until just recently (in comparison with the overall lifetime of the planet).

Neptune was discovered first in September of 1845, again in June of 1846, and again later in the summer of 1846; three different men discovered the planet (John Adams was the first, Urbain Leverrier was the second, and Johann Galle, the third). Consequently, only Adams and Leverrier are credited with the discovery of the planet (Chaisson & McMillan, 2011 p. 315). According Astronomy Today, Galle was not originally credited with the discovery of the planet (Chaisson & McMillian, 2011 p.315). However, he is often credited with the discovery today. One more important thing about ...

... middle of paper ...

...051/escape-velocity/

Kuhn, K. (2004, June 16). Physics: g-force. Retrieved from http://en.allexperts.com/q/Physics-1358/g-force.htm

Neptune celebrates first anniversary (2011). . Malaysia, Lahore: HT Media Ltd. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/876038152?accountid=8473

Russell, R. (2003, October 31). Neptune statistics . Retrieved from http://www.windows2universe.org/neptune/statistics.html

What is g-force? (2011). Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-g-force.htm

What is g-force--meaning of g-force. (2010). Gforces.net, Retrieved from http://gforces.net/what-is-g-force-meaning.html

Williams, D. (2010, November 17). Neptune Fact sheet. Retrieved from http://nssdc.gsfc.gov/planetary/factsheet/neptunefact.html

Zimmerman Jones, A. (2011). Density--what is density? Retrieved from http://physics.about.com/od/fluidmechanics/f/density.htm

Show More
Related

  • Alan Lightman's Our Place In The Universe

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many of the heavenly bodies were considered to be the representations of deities. The master of reason, Aristotle, stated once long ago that everything was made of only five elements the final being what makes up the heavenly bodies, after all they lacked the proper technologies to know differently. It was Galileo in 1610, using his telescope, that found dark spots on the sun. So as technological innovations occur our understanding of physics and astronomy grow. Newton in 1687 discovered the laws of gravity, suggested that all the solar and stellar bodies operated the same.

    Read More

  • Geo1001 Unit 1 Assignment

    1374 Words  | 3 Pages

    Our Solar System was formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago during the Big Bang with the collapse of an interstellar body (Lammer et al., 2009). During these supernova explosions, the dusts and gases that were expelled were mixed and processed to form the planets of our system (Lammer et al., 2009, Nisbet and Sleep, 2001).

    Read More

  • Jovian Planets Essay

    1931 Words  | 4 Pages

    The majority of people have a very basic understanding of Earth, the planet we reside in, let alone the seven other planets in our solar system. The eight planets surrounding our star, the Sun, are separated into two very simple categories: Jovian and Terrestrial Planets. Throughout this paper, I will be explaining the basic structure and properties of the eight planets in our solar system, along with a brief history on the discovery of our solar system and what’s to come in the future. I will also go in depth into the difference between the Jovian Planets and the Terrestrial Planets, from the basic differences to the different structures and properties.

    Read More

  • Planet Comparison- Uranus and Neptune

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    Neptune was discovered through a discrepancy in Uranus’s orbit. Uranus’s orbit was not moving how astronomers predicted it would. They could not find an elliptical orbit that fit Uranus’s trajectory. They therefore assumed that there had to be another planet that’s gravitational pull was effecting Uranus. Johann Galle was the first to find Neptune in 1846, even though many before him had mathematically predicted where this new planet would be. The planet was named Neptune and two astronomers who had predicted mathematically where it would be are credited with finding it not Galle.

    Read More

  • Operation Neptune Essay

    1227 Words  | 3 Pages

    On June of 1941, after Germany invaded the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin began pressuring the Allies to create a second front in Western Europe, so that pressure could be relieved from the Soviet Union. But before they could open up a second front they first had to establish a foothold in Western Europe. For this reason, Operation Neptune was developed, its main goal: develop a foothold for the Allies in Western Europe. Operation Neptune was considered one the greatest events in history and the largest seaborne invasion in recorded history. Due to the size and importance of the operation, great planning and preparation had to be done for it. Failure of the operation would have weakened the Allies position. This investigation will research whether

    Read More

  • Jupiter Research Paper

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    Jupiter has a pretty informative history. Supposedly Babylonian astronomers discovered Jupiter in the seventh and eighth century of BC. When Galileo discovered the four moons of Jupiter in 1610, this was the first proof of an object orbiting something else than Earth. That discovery provided more evidence for the Sun-centered model. Jupiter is supposedly the fourth brightest object in our solar system. Only the Sun, Moon, and Venus are brighter than Jupiter. Surprisingly on the surface of Jupiter, it is hotter than the sun. The surface is 24,000 degrees Celsius. The surface of the sun is 5,504 degrees Celsius. The clouds of Jupiter are -145 Celsius. That is the totally opposite of the

    Read More

  • pluto

    1835 Words  | 4 Pages

    Pluto is usually farther from the Sun than any of the nine planets; however, due to the eccentricity of its orbit, it is closer than Neptune for 20 years out of its 249 year orbit. Pluto crossed Neptune's orbit January 21, 1979, made its closest approach September 5, 1989, and will remain within the orbit of Neptune until February 11, 1999. This will not occur again until September 2226.

    Read More

  • Solar Nebula Cause Planet Formation

    532 Words  | 2 Pages

    Solar nebula is a rotating flattened disk of gas and dust in which the outer part of the disk became planets while the center bulge part became the sun. Its inner part is hot, which is heated by a young sun and due to the impact of the gas falling on the disk during its collapse. However, the outer part is cold and far below the freezing point of water. In the solar nebula, the process of condensation occurs after enough cooling of solar nebula and results in the formation into a disk. Condensation is a process of cooling the gas and its molecules stick together to form liquid or solid particles. Therefore, condensation is the change from gas to liquid. In this process, the gas must cool below a critical temperature. Accretion is the process in which the tiny condensed particles from the nebula begin to stick together to form bigger pieces. Solar nebular theory explains the formation of the solar system. In the solar nebula, tiny grains stuck together and created bigger grains that grew into clumps, possibly held together by electrical forces similar to those that make lint stick to your clothes. Subsequent collisions, if not too violent, allowed these smaller particles to grow into objects ranging in size from millimeters to kilometers. These larger objects are called planetesimals. As planetesimals moved within the disk and collide with one another, planets formed. Because astronomers have no direct way to observe how the Solar System formed, they rely heavily on computer simulations to study that remote time. Computer simulations try to solve Newton’s laws of motion for the complex mix of dust and gas that we believe made up the solar nebula. Merging of the planetesimals increased their mass and thus their gravitational attraction. That, in turn, helped them grow even more massive by drawing planetesimals into clumps or rings around the sun. The process of planets building undergoes consumption of most of the planetesimals. Some survived planetesimals form small moons, asteroids, and comets. The leftover Rocky planetesimals that remained between Jupiter and Mars were stirred by Jupiter’s gravitational force. Therefore, these Rocky planetesimals are unable to assemble into a planet. These planetesimals are known as asteroids. Formation of solar system is explained by solar nebular theory. A rotating flat disk with center bulge is the solar nebula. The outer part of the disk becomes planets and the center bulge becomes the sun.

    Read More

  • The Son Of Neptune Essay

    734 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the second installment of The Heroes of Olympus, The Son of Neptune is a thrilling adventure written by Rick Riordan. The book begins where The Lost Hero left off. Percy, also in Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, is wandering Southern California with no memory of where he came from or who he is except one name, Annabeth. Being chased by three gorgons, Percy stumbles upon, with the help of Hera/Juno, Camp Jupiter. In the Roman camp, Percy joins the 5th cohort, which are the misfits of the camp, and befriends Hazel the daughter of Pluto and Frank the son of Mars, who are the biggest misfits of all. Percy and his newfound friends are soon called on a quest. Their mission is to recover the missing standard of the entire legion. They board the Pax, a small rowboat which makes up the entire Roman navy, and embark on their journey.

    Read More

  • Pluto: A Planet?

    1670 Words  | 4 Pages

    Pluto: A Planet of the Earth? Many issues have arisen from the debate over whether or not Pluto is a planet. Some astronomers say that Pluto should be classified as a “minor planet” due to its size, physical characteristics, and other factors. On the other hand, some astronomers defend Pluto’s planet status, citing several key features. Indeed, most of the problem is that there is no formal definition of a planet.

    Read More

  • Uranus

    2618 Words  | 6 Pages

    The history of the planet's discovery is the first we have of its kind; Uranus was the first planet to be discovered with a telescope. The circumstances surrounding the discovery of the object are befitting of the odd planet. The earliest recorded sighting of Uranus was in 1690 by John Flamsteed, but the object was catalogued as another star. On March 13, 1781 Uranus was sighted again by amateur astronomer William Herschel and thought to be a comet or nebulous star. In 1784, Jean-Dominique Cassini, director of the Paris Observatory and prominent professional astronomer, made the following comment:

    Read More

  • Solar System Formation

    1864 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Big Bang, the alpha of existence for the building blocks of stars, happened approximately fourteen billion years ago. The elements produced by the big bang consisted of hydrogen and helium with trace amounts of lithium. Hydrogen and helium are the essential structure which build stars. Within these early stars, heavier elements were slowly formed through a process known as nucleosynthesis. Nucleosythesis is the process of creating new atomic nuclei from pre-existing nucleons. As the stars expel their contents, be it going supernova, solar winds, or solar explosions, these heavier elements along with other “star stuff” are ejected into the interstellar medium where they will later be recycled into another star. This physical process of galactic recycling is how or solar system's mass came to contain 2% of these heavier elements.

    Read More

  • Pluto Planet

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pluto is located 7.5 billion kilometers from Earth and is only over 2,000 km in diameter. Pluto has been labeled both a planet and a dwarf planet over the years. As said by USA Today, “a planet is a celestial body that: is in orbit around the sun, is round or nearly round, and has "cleared the neighborhood" around its orbit, meaning it is not surrounded by objects of similar size and characteristics.” Pluto only follows two of the three rules of a planet. Pluto crosses over Neptune’s orbit and is near other dwarf planets like it. Even though it breaks one rule it was officially named a dwarf planet in “August 2006”, as stated by the Library of Congress. After this event Pluto still only has one correct classification. Pluto is a planet because

    Read More

  • Titan: The Largest Moon of Saturn

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    Our knowledge gained of Titan has drastically improved since the early 1980s when Voyager flew past it. Titan is Saturn’s largest moon and the second largest moon of our solar system. It has a diameter estimated roughly 40% of Earth’s moon (Titan’s Radius: 2576, Moon’s Radius: 1737) and is 80% more massive (Titan’s Mass: 1.35 x 10^23 kg, Moon’s Mass: 7.35 x 10^22 kg. Titan has a atmospheric surface pressure 50% more than of Earth’s. In addition to that, Titan is the only moon to have a dense atmosphere. Titan’s atmosphere has been calculated to be 4.5 times more dense than of Earth’s atmosphere, which can been clearly noted by the layers of haze seen. The atmosphere in Titan is approximately 1.5km and is mainly composed of nitrogen. Titan has a very similar vertical atmospheric structure to earth, Titan has a troposphere temperature of ~94-~70K, a tropopause temperature of 70.4K and a stratosphere temperature of ~70-175K.

    Read More

  • Mercury's Solar System

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    Our solar system has eight planets, their moons and satellites, and they are all orbiting the Sun. The eight planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Pluto used to be the ninth planet but IAU changed the definition of planet and Pluto did not meet the standards so it is now a Dwarf planet.

    Read More

More about Neptune: The Planet

Open Document