To view more enlargements of thumbnails of the planets,
please click on a thumbnail image at the bottom of this page.
Neptune Neptune is the eighth closest planet to the Sun and the fourth largest planet in the solar system. Because Pluto’s orbit is so erratic, it sometimes crosses the orbit of Neptune, making Neptune the most distant planet from the Sun for a few years at a time. Like Uranus, Neptune’s blue color is largely the result of absorption of red light by methane in the atmosphere. Like a typical gas planet, Neptune has rapid winds—the fastest in the solar system, reaching 2,000 km/hour. Neptune also has rings, which are very dark and their composition is unknown. Neptune can be seen with binoculars if you know exactly where to look. Otherwise, a large telescope is needed to see anything other than a tiny disk.
Orbit: 4,504,000,000 km from the Sun
Diameter: 49,532 km
From left to right, planets are:
Mercury / Venus / Earth / Mars / Jupiter / Saturn / Uranus / Neptune / Pluto
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