NEPTUNE'S STORM SYSTEMS

Neptune's storms are a mysterious wonder of the solar system. They are quite unique, as well as a trademark for the big blue planet named after the Roman God of the sea. I hope you will find interesting information in this report.

Neptune's storms are huge and go on for months or years at a time. The average Neptunian storm covers an are of 700 square miles. While that is the average, most storms are either at the high end or the low end, not in the middle. The biggest storm is the Great Dark Spot, which I will discuss later.

The winds on Neptune are perhaps the most baffling and unusual part of Neptune. The temperature on Neptune usually hovers around

-300°C, and Neptune has very little internal heat. Since heat powered the winds here on Earth, how does Neptune power its winds, which can reach speeds of up to 1500 m.p.h. and are considered the fiercest in our solar system?

The clouds on Neptune are definitely one of the more prettier aspects of Neptune. Methane gives them that deep blue color, but there is liquid water underneath the clouds. During a Neptunian storm, there is the occasional lighting, but scientists are not sure if thunder is an ingredient in a storm. "Until we can get a listening device strong

*Goldsmith, Donald. Worlds Unnumbered. California: University Science Books, 1997

enough to hear if there is thunder on Neptune, we are left guessing."*

The Great Dark Spot is probably the most famous of all the Neptunian storms. It was first discovered in 1989 when Voyager I passed by the planet. The Great Dark Spot was the size of the Earth. It reminded scientists of Jupiter's Great Red Spot. However, in June 1994, when Voyager II took photos of the planet, it discovered that the Great Dark Spot had vanished. So, during that five-year period, Neptune's weather changed dramatically.

Another famous storm is a little white cloud affectionately titled Scooter. Scooter got this name because it "scoots" around the planet every sixteen hours or so. Scooter is about the size of the Earth. Scooter gets around so fast because it is travelling at speeds clocked at no less than 1450 m.p.h.

In conclusion, I hope that now you are more informed about Neptune's storm system. I found it to be a wonderful topic to research, as I thought it was extremely interesting.