Uranus and Neptune Flashcards

Flashcards about Uranus and Neptune

Great Dark Spot

The dark feature and its companion bright smudge on Neptune, observed by Voyager 2.

Scooter

A fast-moving bright feature observed on Neptune by Voyager 2.

Little Dark Spot

Also known as Dark Spot 2, it is another feature observed on Neptune besides the Great Dark Spot and Scooter.

William Herschel

Amateur astronomer who discovered Uranus in 1781.

Georgium Sidum

The name Herschel wanted to give Uranus after King George III.

Uranus

The seventh planet from the Sun, discovered by William Herschel.

Uranus

The planet whose observed orbital motion was inconsistent with Newton’s Laws, leading to the hypothesis of another planetary influence.

Urbain-Jean-Joseph Le Verrier

French astronomer who predicted the location of Neptune.

John Couch Adams

English astronomer who independently predicted the location of Neptune.

Johann Galle

Astronomer at the Berlin Observatory who discovered Neptune in 1846.

19.2 au

The distance from the Sun to Uranus in astronomical units (au).

30.1 au

The distance from the Sun to Neptune in astronomical units (au).

84 years

The time it takes Uranus to orbit the Sun.

165 years

The time it takes Neptune to orbit the Sun.

17.3 hours

The duration of a day on Uranus.

16.1 hours

The duration of a day on Neptune.

97.9 degrees

The axis tilt of Uranus.

29.6 degrees

The axis tilt of Neptune.

5300 K (9000 °F)

Estimated core temperature of Uranus.

7300 K (12600 °F)

Estimated core temperature of Neptune.

Salt water

The conducting fluid in the magnetospheres of Uranus and Neptune.

15 to 20%

The approximate percentage of the planet mass that the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune comprise.

Methane

The most abundant ‘other’ element in the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune.

Frozen aerosolized methane

The reason that Uranus and Neptune appear blue.

The Great Dark Spot

Large storm observed on Neptune that vanished by 1995.

Hubble Space Telescope (HST)

Space telescope used for long-term monitoring of atmospheric weather patterns on Uranus and Neptune.

Voyager 2

Spacecraft that flew by Uranus in 1986 and Neptune in 1989.