Neptune
| Neptune | |
|---|---|
| |
| Neptune in Orbiter | |
| Designation | |
| Name | Neptune |
| Reference body | Sun |
| Number of satellites | |
| Planetary mean orbits | |
| Epoch | J2000 (1 January 2000) |
| Semimajor axis (a) | 30.06896348 AU (4.49825291×1012 km) |
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.00858587 |
| Inclination (i) | 1.76917° (0.0308778 radian) |
| Longitude of the ascending node (LAN, ☊) | 131.72169° (2.298977 radian) |
| Longitude of periapsis (ϖ) | 44.97135° (0.784898 radian) |
| Mean longitude (L) | 304.88003° (5.321160 radian) |
| Planetary orbital element centennial rates | |
| Semimajor axis (a) | -0.00125196 AU/Century |
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.0000251 Century-1 |
| Inclination (i) | -3.64 seconds/Century |
| Longitude of the ascending node (LAN, ☊) | -151.25 seconds/Century |
| Longitude of periapsis (ϖ) | -844.43 seconds/Century |
| Mean longitude (L) | 786449.21 seconds/Century |
| Selected physical parameters | |
| Mean radius | 24624.0±21 km |
| Mass | 1.024569×1026 kg |
| Density | 1.638 g/cm3 |
| Sidereal rotation period | 16.11±0.01 hours |
| Sidereal orbit period | 163.72321 years |
| Magnitude V(1,0) | -6.87 |
| Geometric albedo | 0.41 |
| Equatorial gravity | 11.00±0.05 m/s2 |
| Escape velocity | 23.5 km/s |
| Rotation elements | |
| North pole right ascension (α1) | 295.25° |
| North pole declination (δ1) | 40.63° |
| Obliqutiy of ecliptic | 29.48° |
| Longitude of Sun's transit | 221.13° |
| Atmospheric parameters | |
| Surface Pressure | >>104 kPa |
| Surface Density | ~0.45 kg/m3 at 1 bar |
| Scale height | 19.1-20.3 km |
| Average temperature | ~58 K |
| Wind speeds | 0-200 m/s |
| Ecliptic position from primary* | |
| Note | *Elements given are from Orbiter.pdf (2016) |
Neptune is the 8th planet from the Sun, the fourth largest planet by size and the third by mass. Neptune was actually observed by Galileo Galilei on at least two occassions in 1612 and 1613, but did not realize that it was a planet, mistaking it for a star. In 1845, John Couch Adams and Urbain Le Verrier indpendently calculated that there should be another planet based upon perturbations of the orbit of Uranus. Le Verrier sent a letter with his findings to Johann Gottfried Galle who was then the first observer of Neptune and recognized it for what it is.
Neptune in Orbiter
Neptune has been a part of the Orbiter family of bodies at least since the release of Orbiter 2001. In the 2001 version, Neptune had no moons, but 14 moons have been added in later releases of Orbiter or as a part of add-ons.
Orbiter versions and add-ons which include Neptune.
| Add-on | Source | Version | Author | Type | Release Date | Compatibility | Wiki article |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orbiter 2001 | O-F Resources | 010503 | martins | Orbiter Download | 3 May 2001 | Orbiter 2001 |
See also
Natural satellites
Neptune in Orbiter 2001
| Neptune's natural satellites |
|---|
| Named satellites:
Despina | Galatea | Halimede | Hippocamp | Laomedeia | Larissa | Naiad | Nereid | Neso | Proteus | Psamathe | Sao | Thalassa | Triton Numbered Satellites: |
| See also: Pronunciation key | rings of Neptune |
| edit The Solar System | |
|---|---|
| Central star |
Sun (Sol) |
| Planets |
Mercury - Venus - Earth - Mars - Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune |
| Natural satellites |
Moon - Phobos - Deimos - Io - Europa - Ganymede - Titan - more... |
| Add-ons |
Planets - Dwarf Planets - Small objects - Natural satellites - Alternative star systems |
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