Page 185 - DK Children's Encyclopedia
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Neptune                                                                           SEE ALSO

                                                                                               ▸ ▸ Atmosphere  p.33
                                                                                               ▸ ▸ Gases  p.117
           Neptune lies in the freezing cold, dark outer parts of the                          ▸ ▸ Liquids  p.148
           solar system. It is the eighth planet and the farthest planet                       ▸ ▸ Pluto  p.196
           from the sun. Neptune is often called the “twin planet” of                          ▸ ▸ Solar system

           Uranus because it is made up of similar ices and gases. It is                        p.233
           four times larger than Earth.                                                       ▸ ▸ Uranus  p.264




       Wispy clouds made                                                   The windy planet
       of frozen methane
       gas are found high                                                    Neptune is known as “the windy planet”
       in Neptune’s                                                             because it has powerful winds in the
       atmosphere.                                                                outer layers of its atmosphere. Winds
                                                                                    can reach speeds of more than
                                                                                      1,500 mph (2,400 kph), about
                                                                                       twice the speed of sound.



                                                                                             Neptune gets its blue
                                                                                             color from methane gas in
                                                                                             the upper atmosphere.








                                                                                                 Scientists think
                                                                                              that Neptune’s largest
                                                                                              moon Triton is an icy
                                                                                                 minor planet
                                                                                                that got caught by
                                                                                                Neptune’s gravity.




       Hydrogen and
       helium gases
       make up most
       of Neptune’s
       atmosphere.
                                                                               The sun


          God of the sea                                            Beyond Neptune
          Neptune was named after the                               There are thought to
          Roman god of the sea, who is                              be several thousand icy
          usually pictured carrying a                               “minor planets” that
          three-pronged spear called a                              orbit the sun beyond
          trident. The planets Mercury,
          Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and                                 Neptune. The first,
          Saturn are also named after                               and largest, minor
          Roman gods.                                               planet that was
                                                                    discovered is Pluto.

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   US_183_Neptune.indd   183                                                                                     16/05/2017   10:52
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