Books & Authors'Your child has only one opportunity for a good education,
and our aim is to provide it!'

      StatCounter - Free Web Tracker and Counter

 

 

 

| Return to the coolnikz Index Page |

Neptune

Neptune as seen by the Voyager II spacecraft on August 14, 1989.

Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun and takes 165 years to orbit the sun once. Neptune is about 4 times larger than the Earth and is about 17 times as massive. Neptune was discovered on September 23, 1846 based on calculations done by the French astronomer Urbain LeVerrier and the English astronomer John Adams.

Neptune is also the Roman name for Poseidon, the god of the sea and earthquakes. Neptune was the son of Chronus and Rhea and carries the trident, a three pronged spear.

Planetary Data
Distance from Sun Length of Day Length of Year Radius Mass
30.069 AU 16.1 hours 164.79 years 24,764 km 1.02*1026 kg
Known Satellites
Name Distance from Neptune Rotational Period Orbital Period Radius
Naiad 48,230 km 0.294396 days 0.294396 days 29 km
Thalassa 50,070 km 0.311485 days 0.311485 days 40 km
Despina 52,530 km 0.334655 days 0.334655 days 74 km
Galatea 61,950 km 0.428745 days 0.428745 days 79 km
Larissa 73,550 km 0.554654 days 0.554654 days 100 km
Proteus 117,650 km 1.122315 days 1.122315 days 210 km
Triton 354,760 km 5.8768541 days 5.8768541 days 1,352 km
Nereid 5,513,400 km -unknown- 360.13619 days 170 km

Planetary and Satellite Data: NASA's Solar System Explorer