Welcome back, Stargazers!
This week we’re inching closer to the final planets of our Solar system, with the discussion of Neptune and Astronomy.
Neptune is the eighth known planet in our Solar System and located roughly 2.8 billion miles from the Sun. In the history of Astronomy, it holds the unique status as the only planet to be discovered using mathematics rather than direct telescopic observation. Because of its extreme distance, it’s the only major planet that is completely invisible to the human eye and requires a telescope to be seen.
In the 1840’s, astronomers noticed that the planet Uranus was deviating from its mathematically-predicted path. Instead of changing the laws of physics, French mathematician Urbain le Verrier and British astronomer John Couch Adams independently used calculus and Newton’s Laws of Gravity to determine that an unseen, massive body must be tugging on Uranus. In 1846, German astronomer Johann Galle focused his telescope toward Le Verrier’s calculated coordinates and found Neptune.
Some fun facts about Neptune:
It takes 165 Earth years to orbit the sun. It takes 16 Earth hours to rotate.
The size of its equator is 30,775 miles.
Atmosphere: 80% hydrogen, 19% helium, and less than 1.5% methane.
Classified as an Ice Giant, Neptune has no solid surface. Its bulk is primarily composed of a hot, dense, fluid mix of water, ammonia, and methane covering a rocky earth-sized core. The planet’s vivid famous deep blue hue is the result of methane in its upper atmosphere, where it absorbs red light and reflects the blue. Deep within the planet’s mantle, temperatures and pressures become so immense that methane breaks down, creating a suspected “diamond rain,” where crystalline carbon falls to the core.
Despite being one of the coldest places in the solar system, Neptune hosts the fastest sustained winds in the solar system, reaching speeds of up to 1,300 mph. The heat driving these supersonic winds escapes from the planet’s interior, causing Neptune to emit more than twice the heat it receives from the distant sun. The planet’s dynamic atmosphere occasionally stirs up massive, swirling storms that mimic Jupiter’s ‘Great Red Spot.’
Similar to the other planets in the solar system, Neptune has 16 known moons, by far the most famous and largest being Triton. Discovered just 17 days after the planet itself, Triton is the only large moon in the solar system with a retrograde orbit (it orbits in the opposite direction of the planet’s rotation), implying it’s an ancient, captured dwarf planet from the Kuiper Belt. Neptune also features a faint, dark ring system that’s hard to photograph.
We’ll dive into some of the myths, folklore and of course, astrology surrounding Neptune. However, in the meantime, look to the heavens for another unique display of wonder. The week of August 10 will bring a shift in energy toward clear communication and emotional ease.
Stargazers, look toward the heavens this August 12th for a dramatic shift in cosmic energy! It’s the official opening of the eclipse season and a rare six-planet alignment. We enter the world of Leo – hold onto your hats!
Happy stargazing!
Yours in the Stars,
Astrid