1 MINUTE AGO: NASA Just Revealed Neptune Is Not What We’re Being Told!

Uranus and Neptune are somewhat of a mystery  because in a way they shouldn't exist or at   least they shouldn't exist where they are the  James web Space Telescope has beamed back a   breathtaking image revealing the icy Giant in  stunning detail the best we've seen in 30 years   but hold on this isn't just a pretty picture  out where Uranus and Neptune are tons of ice   tons of Frozen gases as we might think of them  methane ammonia water and so that's what makes   up their composition predominantly this new view  can tell us more about what's beneath Neptune's   stunning blue surface as one of the least explored  planets in our solar system as you move further   out in the solar system the time scale for two  bodies to find each other and Collide and airus   slows down because the periods around the Sun are  much longer it just takes a very very long time   Neptune is a world full of mysteries waiting to be  figured out prepare to be surprised we're about to   dive into what the web telescope has revealed  and why Neptune might be more fascinating than   ever imagined James web's image of Neptune for  over three decades our best glimpse of Neptune   remained a single image captured by the Voyager  to spacecraft in 1989 launched in 1977 Voyager 2's   Mission wasn't solely focused on Neptune it was  designed to explore the entire solar system and   eventually depart into Interstellar space while  the Hubble Space Telescope also offered some views   of the distant ice giant the detail wasn't enough  to satisfy the scientific community's thirst for   knowledge all of that changed with the highly  anticipated launch of the James web telescope   uh jwst in 2021 September 2022 marked a turning  point in Neptune story The jbws not only delivered   the clearest picture of its rings in over 30  years but also revealed the planet itself in a   completely new light this revolutionary view was  captured by the neckam instrument which operates   in the near infrared range invisible to Human eyes  in these wavelengths Neptune appears remarkably   dark a stark contrast to its familiar blue hue  this darkness is likely due to methane gas which   strongly absorbs red and infrared light compared  to the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn Neptune is   much richer in elements heavier than hydrogen  and helium however the image isn't devoid of   brightness the contrasting bright stripes and  spots are actually high altitude clouds composed   of methane ice reflecting sunlight and appearing  Almost White in the neckam image this technique   alongside the superior resolution of jwst allowed  for the first clear view of Neptune's fine ring   system which scientists suspect are made of ice  crystals while these Rings were known from Voyager   2 previous technology struggled to capture their  details another interesting feature revealed by   the jwst image is a thin bright line encircling  Neptune's Equator this line is a Telltale sign   of powerful atmospheric circulations essentially  violent winds and storms raging on the planet's   surface the image also provides a clear view of  a previously known vortex at the South Pole and   for the first time depicts a continuous band of  clouds enveloping Neptune at at higher latitudes   these advancements in observation technology allow  scientists on Earth to utilize light filtering   methods and remotely determine the composition of  gases and other structures on Neptune studying the   Rings alone first observed by Voyager 2 promises  exciting new insights into the composition of this   distant ice giant for astronomers the JD wst  observations represent a major milestone in   Neptune research and a long awaited breakthrough  especially considering the lack of funding for   a dedicated Neptune probe Mission at present the  new data from jwst offers a wealth of information   unveiling previously unknown details about the  planet's atmosphere rings and weather systems   about Neptune the most mysterious planet in the  solar system this icy giant bathed in an ethereal   blue glow orbits the Sun at a mindboggling  distance of 2.8 billion miles that's over 30   times farther than our planet since Pluto's  reclassification in 2006 Neptune also holds   the title of farthest measured Planet the eighth  planet in our solar system Neptune also boasts   an impressive size it's the fourth largest  planet and the third most massive packing about   17 times Earth's mass interestingly it's  even slightly heavier than its icy twin   Uranus speaking of ice Neptune's primarily made  up of gases liquids and you guessed it ice this   composition earns it the official title of an  ice giant it takes a slow 164.512 Earthly years   to orbit the sun while Galileo galile spotted a  curious Blue Blur in the 17th century he mistook   it for a star fast forward to 1846 and British  mathematician John couch Adams used calculations   to predict the existence of another planet  Beyond Uranus French astronomer Urban larier   independently reached the same conclusion around  the same time it wasn't until German astronomer   Johan gotfried Gala finally spotted the elusive  Neptune in the night sky on September 23rd 1846   confirming their predictions Neptune's most  striking feature is its vibrant blue color of   course this mesmerizing Hue is caused by the  methane gas that makes up a large portion of   its atmosphere the way methane molecules vibrate  absorbs red light leaving the blue wavelength to   dominate the reflected light we see this Celestial  blue Beauty even inspired its namesake the Roman   god of the sea despite its captivating appearance  Neptune remains one of the least explored planets   in our solar system over the past few decades  scientists have observed dramatic changes in its   atmosphere raising concerns with limited data  researchers are left scrambling to understand   these mysterious shifts the Great Dark Spot  Neptune holds a few f fascinating Mysteries and   its weather is definitely one of them back in 1989  Voyager 2 flew by the planet and spotted a giant   swirling storm the Great Dark Spot in Neptune  South eerily similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot   but there's a strange thing about this spot just a  few years later in 1994 a team of scientists using   the Hubble Space Telescope peered at Neptune  again and the great dark spot was gone in its   place a brand new dark spot appeared in the north  this dark spot must have formed between voyagers   flyby and the Hubble photos since then Hubble has  discovered several more black spots they develop   at Mid latitudes in both hemispheres and tend to  move in the direction of the Equator but they face   certain death if they do that this disappearance  revealed a key difference between Neptune and   Jupiter's storms unlike Jupiter's Great Red Spot  which has raged for centuries Neptune storms are   short-lived they might not last but they sure do  pack a punch Neptune Reigns Supreme when it comes   to wind speeds these ferocious storms can whip  around at a mindblowing 1,350 miles hour to put   that in perspective the most powerful hurricanes  on Earth manage a measly 186 mph so yeah getting   caught in a Neptune storm wouldn't be ideal  unexplainable processes on Neptune's surface   Neptune keeps scientists on their toes especially  when it comes to its weather in 2018 researchers   spotted a monstrous storm raging in the planets  North the giant swirling storm on Neptune was   bigger than the entire continental US they tracked  it for years expecting it to follow the usual Path   South towards the equator where Neptune's storms  tend to vanish this happens because of a special   weather phenomenon our planet's rotation creates  the cholis effect this fancy term basically means   winds moving at different speeds depending on  where they are on the planet think of a merry   go round things at the edge move faster than  things closer to the center the Coriolis effect   acts like an invisible hand steering winds and  shaping storms on Neptune storms born near the   poles get nudged by the Coriolis effect as they  travel South as they get closer to the Equator   this influence weakens causing the storms to break  apart and disappear but this monster storm in 2018   defied expectations it defied the Coriolis effect  and and kept chugging South that's what makes it   so mysterious but 2020 brought a surprise Hubble  captured the storm doing a U-turn heading back   North this unprecedented Behavior left researchers  baffled scientists have tracked similar dark spots   for nearly 30 years but this this was something  new was it a rare anomaly or something more   adding to the mystery Hubble has observed other  dark spots disappearing and reappearing over the   years the largest storm Hubble has ever observed  on Neptune was 4,600 miles in diameter researchers   have been observing the behavior of the storm  since 1993 and they noticed that the storm   seemed to disappear several times perhaps actually  dissipating only to reappear not far from where it   disappeared one Theory suggests these storms might  might hide in Neptune's deeper atmosphere before   resurfacing perhaps the storms disappear only  superficially but continue to rage in the deeper   layers of Neptune from time to time the events  could then become visible again on the surface   unfortunately we lack data on what's Happening  down there the storm continues to surprise but   it doesn't stop there this storm's about to get  even weirder just as it defied expectations and   reversed course it appears to have given birth to  a smaller companion storm like a miniature version   of itself this isn't entirely unexpected some  computer models predict that as giant storms on   Neptune weaken near the equator they might shed  smaller whirlwinds we couldn't directly observe   this happening due to limited data but it's a  strong possibility maybe shedding this mini storm   helped change direction some scientists theorize  another Oddity is that unlike most dark storms   this one lacks the usual bright white fringe  these are methane ice clouds super reflective   and appearing white in images normally winds carry  methane gas up the storm's high pressure center   think of a giant mound of air where it cools  and crystallizes into ice clouds here on Earth   mountains create similar orographic clouds when  moist air rises cools and condenses we saw these   white clouds on Neptune in 2019 but they vanished  in 2020 could this be linked to the storm's   strange Behavior maybe maybe not studying Neptune  is tough it's incredibly far away appears tiny in   our telescopes and its atmosphere changes rapidly  it's high time we explore Neptune the answer might   lie in a future mission to Neptune similar to  cassini's plunge into Saturn a probe could dive   into Neptune's atmosphere collecting crucial data  this is still a dream but Neptune's turn for a   dedicated probe Mission seems likely this Mission  might even have an exciting bonus the hunt for   Planet X since Pluto's reclassification Neptune  is the Solar System's last major planet however   wobbly orbits of some objects hint at a hidden  Giant Planet X lurking far beyond Neptune Planet   X or Planet 9 could have a highly elliptical orbit  taking thousands of years to circle the Sun and   remaining invisible under current observation  conditions it might only become a blip on our   telescopes every few hundred years will a future  Neptune Mission unveil the secrets of its stormy   atmosphere and NAB The elusive Planet X only  time and Powerful telescopes will tell Neptune's   largest moon Triton James web's stunning image of  Neptune might have left you wondering about that   brilliant blue green light in the background fear  not it's not an alien Beacon that eye-catching   Sparkle is actually Triton Neptune's largest  moon and the brightest of the moons captured   in the image roughly the size of our own Moon  Triton stands out with its greenish Hue this   unique color is a result of the image's special  filters but it also reflects how Triton bathes in   the faint sunlight reaching its distant orbit but  unlike most moons Triton has a smooth icy surface   with barely any craters here's where things get  interesting scientists believe Triton might not   always have been Neptune's companion its oddly  elliptical orbit suggests it could have been   a Wandering object from the Kyper belt eventually  stolen by Neptune's gravity this Theory gets even   more interesting because Triton travels around  Neptune in the opposite direction of the planet's   rotation a big clue that something dramatic  happened in the past but Triton holds even more   Intrigue just like Jupiter's Europa and Saturn's  Enceladus Triton shows signs of ice volcanism   hinted at a possible ocean beneath its icy crust  this possibility makes Neptune and its moons a   prime target for future exploration Brighton is a  world with a potential ocean and a mysterious past   its orbit and structure are one of a kind until  then we eagerly await the next surprise James web   has in store for us jwst Neptune's rings and its  various moons thanks thankfully space exploration   isn't standing still the incredible images taken  by the James web Space Telescope jwst are helping   us piece together the story of Neptune and its  14 incredible moons most of these moons are on   the smaller side under 200 km wide and a bit  on the irregular shaped side think more lumpy   potatoes than perfect spheres one exception  is proteus which clocks in at a respectable   400 km across now some of these moons are hanging  out right in Neptune's rings these are called   The Shepherd moons named after astronomer Alan  Shepard scientists think the gravity of despa   and galatia two of these moons might actually be  helping to Clump the ring particles together into   those distinct bands we see pretty cool right but  Triton is a real heavyweight in the world of moon   this isn't your average Moon it defies  Expectations by orbiting Neptune in a   backward motion meaning it travels in the opposite  direction of the planet's rotation their leading   theory is that Triton wasn't always Neptune's  companion as mentioned earlier they believe it   might have originated in the distant Kyper belt a  vast region Beyond Neptune filled with icy objects   millions or even billions of years ago Neptune's  powerful gravity might have snagged this sizable   object turning it into its largest moon however  the exact details of this Cosmic capture remain   shrouded in mystery scientists are eager to learn  more about the forces that could have orchestrated   such a dramatic event clocking in at a whopping  2,700 kilometers wide it just barely edges out   our own moon in size 2,159 kilomet in fact Triton  is even larger than Pluto the former ninth planet   which comes in at a mere 2,376 kilm but what  really makes Triton Stand Out is its captivating   teal color this vibrant Hue isn't just a quirk  of the jdb filters it's all thanks to a thick   layer of Frozen nitrogen blanketing Triton surface  Frozen nitrogen is a highly reflective material   which means it bounces back a lot of light  especially in the blue and green wavelengths   this explains why Triton appears so much brighter  than the distant gas giant Neptune itself however   you might be wondering why we don't see these  defraction spikes around other large objects   in jwst images the answer lies in the size of the  light source these spikes are an artifact of how   light bends around the jwst structure particularly  the three supports holding the secondary mirror   and the hexagonal shape of the primary mirror  segments when the light source is large like   Neptune the spikes get smeared out across the  entire object becoming faint and difficult to   discern but with a small compact Source like  Triton the defraction spikes become much more   prominent they appear like Shar lines radiating  outwards from the center of the Moon almost like   a tiny blue star burst this unique combination of  size composition and Telescope design has given   us a truly remarkable view of Triton offering  astronomers a wealth of new information about   this fascinating Moon unveiling Neptune's  Secrets its atmosphere the jwst images also   offer a breathtaking close-up view of Neptune's  atmosphere beyond the swirling blue clouds and the   intricate ring system we can see hints of fainter  Rings some so delicate they appear as mere wisps   but one particularly intriguing feature stands  out a very thin faint line circling the planet   solely around its Equator this line might hold  the key to understanding a fundamental difference   between Neptune and our own Planet unlike  Earth where atmospheric circulation tends to   move from the equator towards the poles Neptune's  atmosphere exhibits the opposite Behavior gases   travel from the poles towards the equator where  they sink and warm up the faint line observed by   jwst could be evidence of this warm Rising gas  emitting infrared light this unique atmospheric   circulation pattern contributes to Neptune's  extreme weather systems with winds reaching   speeds of up to 2,100 km pH the fastest in our  solar system understanding how this circulation   Works will be crucial for unlocking the secrets  of Neptune's climate and its Dynamic atmosphere   Neptune's bright blue color while space probes  regularly beam back stunning images of Jupiter's   swirling storms and Rovers trundle across the  dusty Martian Plains Neptune remains a distant   enigmatic World unlike Saturn which hosted  the Cassini spacecraft for a record-breaking   13 years Neptune hasn't had a dedicated visitor  recently a new study unveiled the secret behind   Neptune's vibrant blue color briefly thrusting the  distant planet into the spotlight however the lead   author Dr Patrick Irwin of Oxford University  admits the discovery was an unexpected bonus   their focus was on both ice giants atmospheres  Dr Irwin's team wasn't specifically seeking the   answer to Neptune's stunning blue color their  primary focus was on the atmospheres of both   Neptune and Uranus these ice giants as they're  called because scientists believe they formed from   Icy materials are often studied together roughly  earth-sized but dwarfed by Jupiter and Saturn they   share many characteristics both ice giants lack  Solid Surfaces and boast atmospheres dominated by   hydrogen helium and a touch of methane scientists  even suspect these atmospheres Harbor a bizarre   phenomenon Diamond rain under the immense pressure  deep within carbon atoms might be squeezed into   the precious gems previously researchers knew  that methane in these atmospheres played a key   role in their blue color it acts like a Cosmic  filter absorbing red sunlight and leaving shades   of blue and green were our telescopes to detect  however Dr Irwin's team was about to make an   unexpected discovery that would shed new light  on this phenomenon Dr Irwin's team stumbled Upon   A fascinating clue a layer of methane Haze  in Uranus's atmosphere was twice as thick as   Neptunes without this Haze Dr Irwin explained both  planets would naturally appear a vibrant blue the   haze acts like a cosmic dimmer switch muting the  color intensity the scientist seeds theorize that   Neptune's more turbulent atmosphere is better at  churning up methane particles thinning out this   Haze layer as a result Neptune shines a deeper  richer blue compared to Uranus's gentle aquamarine   this difference makes them a captivating contrast  highlighting the unique characteristics of these   underappreciated ice giants Neptune theoretically  holds the title of the farthest planet from the   Sun but will it also claim the crown for The  Bluest why Neptune deserves special attention   right now the debate surrounding Pluto's planetary  status refuses to die down even after its demotion   in 2006 but planetary scientists have their sights  set beyond the celestial cont controversy they're   hunting for a hypothetical Planet X a giant world  theorized to lurk Beyond Neptune its gravity   potentially influencing the unusual orbits of some  distant objects if as many scientists recommend   NASA prioritizes a mission to Uranus in the coming  decade Neptune will become the only planet in our   solar system unexplored by a dedicated spacecraft  this would be a missed opportunity considering   Neptune's unique history and Mysteries NASA's  Voyager 2 became the first and only spacecraft   to visit Neptune in 1989 during its grand tour  of the outer solar system Voyager 2 whizzed past   this distant Blue Giant its moons and even  its surprising intricate Rings while not   as spectacular as Saturn's iconic Rings Neptune's  rings showcase the Wonders lurking in the farthest   reaches of our Solar System since Voyager 2  groundbreaking flyby in 1989 no spacecraft   has ventured near Neptune planetary scientists  face a difficult Choice prioritize a mission to   the closer Uranus or tackle the immense challenge  of reaching the distant enigmatic Neptune while a   dedicated Uranus mission in the early 2030s could  offer valuable insights into both ice giants it   wouldn't do justice to Neptune's unique story  though sadly its incredible 165e orbit around   the sun compared to Uranus's 84 years makes  exploration a logistical hurdle a mission to   orbit Neptune like the recent James web Space  Telescope jwst images have reignited scientific   interest in Neptune the distant Blue Giant at the  edge of our solar system while these observations   offer tantalizing glimpses they highlight the  critical need for a dedicated mission to truly   unlock Neptune Secrets the ideal approach  to studying a planet is a long-term Orbiter   Mission just like the success story of Cassini  with Saturn such a mission allows scientists to   witness the dynamic nature of the planet features  evolve weather patterns shift and most importantly   unexpected discoveries can be followed up on  in real time cassini's mission for instance   yielded a wealth of information as researchers  adapted their observations to investigate newly   discovered phenomena while initial flybys like  Voyager historic encounter with Neptune provide   a first look they lack the depth needed for  comprehensive understanding the dark storms   observed on Neptune during the Voyager flyby were  a groundbreaking discovery but unraveling their   Origins and Dynamics requires sustained study the  key lies in repeated observations and the ability   to adjust exploration plans based on new findings  unfortunately a human mission to Neptune is out of   the question for the foreseeable future however  a dedicated spacecraft designed specifically for   Neptune exploration would be a GameChanger the  Jade BST offers invaluable observations but it   cannot replace the power of an orbiting probe  the challenge lies in the fact that mission   proposals for a Neptune Orbiter like the one  with a potential launch in 2033 and arrival in   2049 face a crucial decision prioritizing Uranus  as a first stop could delay Neptune exploration   by at least a decade this means Neptune The  Bluest planet in our solar system might have   to wait until well into the 2050s to have a  dedicated spacecraft companion the wait for   Neptune may be long but the scientific rewards  promise to be immense understanding Neptune's   unique atmospheric circulation the composition  of its moons like the enigmatic Triton and the   nature of its extreme weather systems are  just a few of the Mysteries waiting to be   solved hopefully a dedicated Mission will finally  embark on this long journey revealing the hidden   wonders of the Solar System's most distant Giant  discovery of a mini Neptune astronomers have spent   years scratching their heads over a puzzling  cloud and shrouded Planet orbiting a distant   star this mini Neptune called gj1214b defies  easy categorization unlike anything found in   our solar system it falls between the size of  rocky planets like Earth and the gas giants   like Jupiter and Neptune but the recent James web  Space Telescope observations have shed new light   on this enigmatic World revealing a surprising  twist it's cooler and shinier than expected   gj1 1214 be's unique size class has scientists  intrigued is it a scaled up Earth a scaled down   Neptune or something entirely different perhaps a  water world dominated by a steamy atmosphere it's   relative proximity just 48 light years away makes  it a prime candidate for study but its thick cloud   cover has long been a barrier to understanding its  composition traditional methods like observing the   planet transited star and analyzing the filtered  Starlight proved ineffective however the James   web Space Telescope with its ability to detect  infrared light that is its heat offered A New   Perspective according to Elizabeth hempton lead  author of the study published in nature the planet   has been a challenge for astronomers they've  been trying to understand the composition of   its atmosphere for a long time the web telescope  observed gj1214b as it orbits its star mapping out   its temperature across different phases of its day  night cycle surprisingly the day side temperature   reached a scorching 530° F to hot for any known  life but significantly lower than scientists   anticipated this temperature discrepancy suggests  a highly reflective Planet scattering back a   significant portion around half of the incoming  Stellar energy previous Theory suggested the   clouds might be composed of a dark Sue Haze but  this new data shoots down this idea the James   web Space Telescope observations have opened  a new chapter in our understanding of gj1 1,   1214b the cooler temperature and unexpected  reflectivity challenge existing models and demand   a re-evaluation of the planet's atmospheric  composition jwst Beyond Neptune the web   telescope's observations went even further hinting  at the composition of gj1214b atmosphere the data   suggested a composition lack a high concentration  of hydrogen indicating that this planet is not   simply a smaller version of Neptune furthermore  the telescope detected evidence of water vapor and   methane lead author Elizabeth Kempton expressed  confidence in the presence of water on the planet   though she clarified that the extreme temperatures  rule out the possibility of liquid water Kempton   emphasized the importance of directing the the  James web telescope towards more planets in this   size range this will help determine whether gj1 1,  1214b is an anomaly or a representative example of   its planetary class the new findings captured the  attention of Laura cber a planetary researcher at   the max plank Institute for astronomy in Germany  who wasn't directly involved in this study but as   previously observed gj1 1, 1214b using the Hubble  Space Telescope she referred to the planet as a   white whale for exoplanet researchers due to the  immense difficulty in characterizing it cab bear   said it was fantastic to finally see some of the  planet Secrets Revealed seir was surprised by the   planet's high reflectivity and stated that  scientists would need to completely rethink   their understanding of what makes the Planet  so shiny she went on to say that based on the   observations GGA 1, 1214b might be an entirely  new type of Planet altogether CBR mentioned that   gj1214b shares more similarities with Neptune  than Earth but It ultimately remains a unique   entity she explained that Neptune's atmosphere is  primarily hydrogen whereas gj1 1,214 bees might be   dominated by water cber noted that these findings  put the planet into a whole new category something   we weren't entirely sure existed before she  concluded by expressing surprise at the absence   of such planets in our solar system considering  their apparent prevalence elsewhere in the Galaxy   Neptune's hidden depths have only just begun to  be revealed this discovery shows that there's   so much more to learn about our solar system  and beyond the faint band of clouds suggests   atmospheric circulation on a scale we haven't  fully grasped and the possibility of a water-rich   atmosphere on gj1214b a mini Neptune opens  doors to entirely new planetary classifications   thanks to the James web Space Telescope we're  seeing this icy Giant in a whole new light what   other Secrets lie beneath its mesmerizing blue  surface this is just the beginning stay tuned   as we explore the latest findings and delve  deeper into even more mysteries of Neptune

Channel: Space Voyager ES

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Keywords: voyage, what if, voyager, nasa, earth, solar system, science, what happens if, something strange on neptune, outer space, the simply space, sun, mysteries, factnomenal, hypothetical scenario, space, space news, science documentary, facts about space, ridddle, neptune moons, space balls, spacex, science news, hypothetical scenarios, scientists announced, space discoveries, moon, mercury, documentary channel, saturn, planetballs, space exploration, unveiled, gravity, #eldddir_ocean, the universe

Id: G21tEpgfzVg

Length: 35min 43sec (2143 seconds)

Published: Thu May 16 2024