Neptune

Neptune is the eighth planet from the sun. With an atmosphere made up of hydrogen, helium, and methane, Neptune is also considered a gas giant. It it the smallest of the four gas giants in the Solar System. Neptune is a bright blue planet surrounded by white clouds. It is also very windy and has the strongest winds of all the planets in the Solar System. These winds have caused storms to occur, with one large storm is known as the "Great Dark Spot". This spot appears as a dark oval shape on the planet's surface and contains winds that have reached up to almost 1,200 miles per hour. The gravity on Neptune is slightly stronger than the gravity on Earth so you would weigh about 8 pounds heavier on Neptune. The planet also has six rings. These rings are irregular and vary in thickness.
 * All About Neptune**


 * Astrology Mythology:** At first, Neptune was only the god of water, but later on this became to include the sea when he became associated with the Greek god Poseidon.

Mass: 17 times more than Earth Volume: 57 times more than Earth Distance from the Sun: 4,496 million kilometers 1 Orbit around the Sun: 60,190 days 1 Full Rotation: 16 hours and 17 minutes Average Temperature: -370 degrees F Moons: 13 moons
 * Fast Facts:**

Because Neptune is so far away from the Earth, it is very difficult for us to see any of Neptune's moons. For that reason most of its moons were not discovered until 1989 when NASA sent a satellite to explore the planet. Today we know of 13 moons but there are probably many more orbiting Neptune which we have not discovered yet.
 * Neptune's Moons**

Neptune's atmosphere contains a large white cloud that moves quickly around. The "scooting" of this cloud gave Neptune's atmosphere its nickname "Scooter".
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