The discovery of Neptune: Here’s what you need to know

We all know that a telescope is a must for spotting a planet. However, it was not the only device used for the discovery of the eighth planet of the solar system, Neptune. Several astronomers worked day and night to analyze data and information about the alterations in the orbit of Uranus. To their surprise, they identified that there was one more planet in our solar system that was throwing their calculations off! 

The planet Neptune was discovered in 1846 by John Couch Adams, Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier, and Johann Gottfried Galle, who independently contributed to the exploration of this planet. According to astronomers, Neptune is 4.6 billion years old, formed with a huge spinning disc of gas and dust along with other planets of our solar system.  

Mathematical calculations and the discovery of Neptune 
The story began when astronomers detected discrepancies between Uranus' observed and predicted positions in its orbit. Numerous theories in vogue at the time tried to explain Uranus' deviation from its expected orbit. One hypothesis was that Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation didn't work or worked differently at such great distances from the Sun. But this was wrong. Gravity is a constant.  

So, astronomers began discussing the possibility of another planet beyond Uranus that might be giving these calculation differences. In June 1845, French astronomer Urbain Le Verrier began solving the Uranus orbit mystery using mathematics. At the same time, British John Couch Adams was working on the same issue, but both were unaware of each other's calculations. On September 23, 1846, Galle used Le Verrier’s calculations to find Neptune only 1° off Le Verrier’s predicted position and 12° off Adams’ predicted position. 

After Neptune’s discovery, an international dispute arose regarding the ‘real’ discoverer of the new planet. Fortunately, all three of them are credited for this discovery today. 

Neptune can sometimes move beyond Pluto 
From 1979 to 1999, for 20 years, Neptune was far from the Sun, even beyond Pluto. Yes, that's right. Neptune sometimes orbits around the Sun at a greater distance than Pluto. Due to Pluto's highly elliptical orbit around the Sun, there are instances when Pluto crosses Neptune's orbit and gets closer to the Sun than the latter. Every 248 Earth years, Pluto enters Neptune's orbit for two decades due to its very eccentric, oval orbit.  

Pluto is currently at a great distance from the Sun. The next time Neptune and Pluto will alternate positions is 226 years from now.  

Neptune has rings just like Saturn 
Neptune has fourteen moons and six rings, of which three primary rings are thin and black. In 1989, NASA’s first spacecraft Voyager 2, detected its rings. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope vividly displays Neptune's fainter dust bands and bright, narrow rings. Ironically, no two rings are uniform and each ring's thickness differs from another. Made up of tiny rocks and dust, these rings are new, young, and have a short life. In addition, these peculiar rings include four thick patches (clumps of dust) termed arcs.  

The Great Dark Spot  
There is a hole in Neptune's methane cloud, depicted in the pictures, which astronomers call the Great Dark Spot. The size and shape of the spot vary when observed at different times. This giant spot is of Earth's size and produces massive whirling storms with winds moving at speeds of 1,500 miles per hour! The winds of Neptune are our solar system's strongest winds!