The Solar System used to have nine planets but a few years ago, planet Pluto the 9th planet was considered just a dwarf planet because of its small size. Hence, the last and farthest planet becomes Neptune, the 8th planet from the sun. Neptune is said to be the 4th largest planet in the solar system found in the Milky Way Galaxy. The name Neptune was derived from the “Roman god of the sea”. It orbits around the sun only once every 164.8 or 165 years.
As the farthest planet from the sun, Neptune is not reached by the sun’s rays which offers heat and light. Thus, the temperature in its surface becomes dark and icy cold. Its atmosphere is layered with clouds that is composed of Helium, Hydrogen and Methane which turns the color of Neptune into blue. What is yet to be known about Neptune is its wind that blows 1,200 miles per hour that is around five times stronger than the deadliest typhoon on earth. This mysterious planet has 6 rings and 14 moons or satellites.
Neptune is described as the 3rd most massive planet and the densest of them all. Its size is smaller than Uranus and is more massive. Since Neptune has more powerful mass, it makes stronger compression of the gravity in its own atmosphere. Because of its position as the farthest planet from the earth, much heavenly bodies are not easily captured by the telescope in its enormous surrounding dark region. There was only one spacecraft to have visited this giant planet, the Voyager 2, in August 20, 1977.
