Advanced Intermediate Beginner Home English Spanish

A Look at Neptune's Clouds



This is an image of Neptune, and shows the Great Dark Spot.
Click on image for full size version (168 K GIF)
Image from: NASA
Like Jupiter and all the giant planets, Neptune's appearance shows a striped pattern of clouds. Other cloud shapes seen over time include a small dark spot, the "scooter" and the Great Dark Spot. The Great Dark Spot is the largest of the cloud patterns on Neptune. There are also clouds which are similar to recognizable Earth clouds. The clouds are found low in the atmosphere of Neptune.

The atmosphere of Neptune is mostly made of a complex molecule called methane.

Hazes of smog on Neptune, made of methane and other, even more complex molecules, are to be found very high up, above the clouds of Neptune.


Return to atmosphere


Credits Settings Sponsorship Membership Contact us About the site Site map Help Myths People News Arts, books and film Images and multimedia Tours Life Geology Physics Space weather Space Missions Solar system Astronomy and the Universe Shop for science stuff Games Ask a scientist Journal Comets Dwarfs Neptune Uranus Saturn Jupiter Asteroids Mars Earth Venus Mercury Sun Teacher resources Kids Space Search Home



Last modified November 13, 1997 by the Windows Team

The source of this material is Windows to the Universe, at http://www.windows.ucar.edu/ at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). © The Regents of the University of Michigan. Windows to the Universe® is a registered trademark of UCAR. All Rights Reserved. Site policies and disclaimer