The Windiest Planet Dark, cold and whipped by supersonic winds, Neptune is the last of the hydrogen and helium gas giants in our solar system. More than 30 times as far from the sun as Earth, the planet takes almost 165 Earth years to orbit our sun. In 2011 Neptune completed its first orbit since its discovery in 1846.
State of the Solar System
As the president prepares to give his annual State of the Union Address, we offer our own update from the ongoing exploration of our cosmic neighborhood.
Earth at Perihelion
In January, our planet made its annual closest approach to the sun. But don't expect things to warm up.
State of the Solar System
As the president prepares to give his annual State of the Union Address, we offer our own update from the ongoing exploration of our cosmic neighborhood.
Earth at Perihelion
In January, our planet made its annual closest approach to the sun. But don't expect things to warm up.