Neptune
A distant world of powerful winds
Neptune is the most distant of the eight planets from the Sun. It is a cold ice giant with a bluish atmosphere. It is so far away that we cannot see it from Earth with just our eyes: we need a telescope. Yet Neptune is anything but quiet. Powerful winds blow through its clouds, and huge dark storms appear.
Scientists first worked out where to look for Neptune using mathematics. Then they found it through a telescope. Neptune has thin rings and moons. Its biggest moon is Triton. Voyager 2 flew past and sent pictures of its clouds back to Earth.
At a glance
For children ages 4–7 and their grown-ups.
- Eighth planet from the Sun
- Equatorial diameter: about 49,528 km
- Year: about 165 Earth years
- Day: about 16 hours
Interesting facts
- Neptune is an ice giant.
- Very fast winds blow through its atmosphere.
- Triton is Neptune’s largest moon.
Questions children ask
Why is Neptune blue?
Methane in the atmosphere absorbs red light and helps give the planet its blue colour.
Is Neptune far from the Sun?
Yes, it is the planet farthest from the Sun.
Source for facts and characteristics: NASA · Neptune
Explore more
In the planetarium you can spin this world and look at it from every side.
Sources and images
Celestial maps: Solar System Scope / INOVE · CC BY 4.0. Thumbnails were reduced and shaded. Artistic SVG maps were created for this project.