What color does Neptune appear?
AnswerBlue
Neptune looks blue because methane in its atmosphere absorbs red light.
Science · Facts & stats
Neptune facts & stats
7 fact-checked facts about the planet Neptune, each with the reason behind it. 5 more are in today's round and join this page after it closes.
The basics
Neptune is named after the Roman god of what?
AnswerThe sea
Neptune is named after the Roman god of the sea, the counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon.
Going deeper
Neptune and Uranus are classed as what type of planet?
AnswerIce giants
Ice giants contain large amounts of water, ammonia and methane beneath their atmospheres.
What is Neptune's largest moon?
AnswerTriton
Triton is Neptune's largest moon; Titan orbits Saturn, Europa orbits Jupiter and Charon orbits Pluto.
How was Neptune's position first worked out before it was seen?
AnswerBy mathematical predictions from Uranus's orbit
Unexplained tugs on Uranus's orbit let astronomers calculate where an unseen planet should be.
Expert level
What is unusual about the orbit of Neptune's moon Triton?
AnswerIt orbits backward, opposite Neptune's rotation
Triton's retrograde orbit suggests it was a captured object, possibly from the Kuiper Belt.
Which French mathematician's calculations predicted where Neptune would be found?
AnswerUrbain Le Verrier
Johann Galle found Neptune in 1846 very close to the spot Urbain Le Verrier had predicted.
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