Neptune is the most remote of the distant group of large, hydrogenrich worlds collectively known as the ‘major planets’, the others being Jupiter (the nearest and largest), Saturn and Uranus. Neptune and Uranus together comprise a distinct subclass. While the planets Jupiter and Saturn are composed predominantly of hydrogen and helium, these elements account for less than 80% of the masses of Uranus and Neptune. The outer pair have significantly higher percentages of heavier elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and iron. These major differences between the inner and outer pairs of the giant planets indicate distinct differences in their formation and evolution, as well as in their present-day interiors, atmospheres and dynamics.
Despite its remoteness, Neptune exhibits some of the most active meteorology and global variability in the outer solar system (Plate 31). Numerous haze and cloud layers distributed throughout the visible atmosphere have been observed to vary on timescales...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Bibliography
Appleby, J. F. (1986) Radiative—convective equilibrium models of Uranus and Neptune. Icarus, 65, 383–405.
Apt, J., Clark, R. and Singer, R. (1980) Photometric spectra of the elusive Neptune haze. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., 12, 705.
Atreya, S. K., Owen, T. C., Gautier, D. and Marten, A. (1992) HCN and CO on Neptune: an intrinsic origin. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., 24, 972.
Baines, K. H. and Hammel, H. B. (1994) Clouds, hazes, and the stratospheric methane abundance in Neptune. Icarus, 109, 20–39.
Baines, K. H. and Smith, W. H. (1990) The atmospheric structure and dynamical properties of Neptune derived from ground-based and IUE spectrophotometry. Icarus, 85, 65–108.
Baines, K. H., Mickelson, M. E., Larson, L. E. and Ferguson, D. W. (1995) The abundances of methane and ortho/para hydrogen on Uranus and Neptune: implications of new laboratory 4–0 H2 quadrupole line parameters. Icarus, 114, 328–40.
Bézard, B., Romani, P. N., Conrath, B. J. and Maguire, W. C. (1991) Hydrocarbons in Neptune's stratosphere from Voyager infrared observations. J. Geophys. Res., 96, 18961–75.
Bishop, J., Atreya, S. K., Romani, P. N. et al. (1992) Voyager 2 UVS solar occultations at Neptune: constraints on the abundance of methane in the stratosphere. J. Geophys. Res., 97, 11681–94.
Carlson, B. E., Rossow, W. B. and Orton, G. S. (1988) Cloud microphysics of the giant planets. J. Atmos. Sci., 45, 2066–81.
Conrath, B. J., Flasar, F. M. and Gierasch, P. J. (1991) Thermal structure and dynamics of Neptune's atmosphere from Voyager measurements. J. Geophys. Res., 96 Suppl., 18931–9.
Conrath, B. J., Gautier, D., Owen, T. C. and Samuelson, R. E. (1993) Constraints on N2 in Neptune's atmosphere from Voyager measurements. Icarus, 101, 168–71.
Cruikshank, D. P. (1978) On the rotation period of Neptune. Astrophys. J., 220, L57–9.
de Bergh, C., Lutz, B. L. and Owen, T. (1987) Neptune: short-term variations in the spectrum at 1.6 microns and the search for deuterated methane. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., 19, 864.
de Bergh, C., Lutz, B. L., Owen, T. et al. (1986) Monodeuterated methane in the outer solar system. II. Its detection on Uranus at 1.6 microns. Astrophys. J., 311, 501–10.
de Pater, I., Romani, P. N. and Atreya, S. (1991) Possible microwave absorption by H2S gas in Uranus' and Neptune's atmosphere. Icarus, 91, 220–33.
Fegley, B., Jr, Gautier, D., Owen, T. and Prinn, R. G. (1991) Spectroscopy and chemistry of the atmosphere of Uranus, in Uranus (ed. J. T. Bergstralh, E. D. Miner and M. S. Matthews). Tucson: University of Arizona Press, pp. 147–203.
Fink, U. and Larson, H. P. (1979) The infrared spectra of Uranus, Neptune, and Titan from 0.8 to 2.5 microns. Astrophys. J., 233, 1021–40.
Gillett, F. C. and Rieke, G. H. (1977) 5–20 μm observations of Uranus and Neptune. Astrophys. J., 218, L141–4.
Hammel, H. B. (1989) Discrete cloud structure on Neptune. Icarus, 80, 14–22.
Hammel, H. B., Beebe, R. F., de Jong, E. M. et al. (1989) Neptune's wind speeds obtained by tracking clouds in Voyager images. Science, 245, 1367–9.
Hammel, H. B., Lawson, S. L., Harrington, J. et al. (1992a) An atmospheric outburst on Neptune from 1986 through 1989. Icarus, 99, 363–7.
Hammel, H. B., Young, L. A., Hackwell, J. et al. (1992b) Variability of Neptune's 12.2-micron ethane emission feature. Icarus, 99, 347–52.
Hanel, R. A., Conrath, B. J., Herath, L., et al. (1981) Albedo, internal heat, and energy balance of Jupiter: preliminary results of the Voyager infrared investigation. J. Geophys. Res., 86, 8705–12.
Hanel, R. A., Conrath, B. J., Kunde, V. G. (1983) Albedo, internal heat, and energy balance of Saturn. Icarus, 53, 262–85.
Hubbard, W. B. and MacFarlane, J. J. (1980) Theoretical predictions of deuterium abundances in the Jovian planets. Icarus, 44, 676–81.
Joyce, R. R., Pilcher, C. B., Cruikshank, D. P. and Morrison, D. (1977) Evidence for weather on Neptune. I. Astrophys. J., 214, 657–62.
Kostiuk, T., Romani P. N., Espenak, F. and Bézard B. (1992) Stratospheric ethane on Neptune: comparison of groundbased and Voyager IRIS retrievals. Icarus, 99, 353–62.
Lane, A. L., West, R. A., Hord, C. W. et al. (1989) Photometry from Voyager 2: initial results from the Neptunian atmosphere, satellites, and rings. Science 246, 1450–4.
Lewis, J. S. and Prinn, R. G. (1980) Kinetic inhibition of CO and N2 reduction in the solar nebula. Astrophys. J., 238, 357–64.
Limaye, S. S. and Sromovsky, L. A. (1991) Winds of Neptune: Voyager observations of cloud motions. J. Geophys. Res, 96, 18941–60.
Lindal, G. F. (1992) The atmosphere of Neptune: an analysis of radio occultation data acquired with Voyager 2. Astron. J., 103, 967–82.
Lindal, G. F., Lyons, J. R., Sweetman, D. N. et al. (1990) The atmosphere of Neptune: Results of radio occultation measurements with the Voyager 2 spacecraft. J. Geophys. Res. Lett., 17, 1733–6.
Lockwood, G. and Thompson, D. (1979) The relationship between solar activity and planetary albedoes. Nature, 280, 43–5.
Lockwood, G. W. and Thompson, D. T. (1986) Longterm brightness variations of Neptune and the solar cycle modulation of its albedo, Science, 234, 1543–5.
Lunine, J. I. and Hunten, D. M. (1989) Abundance of condensable species at at planetary cold traps: the role of moist convection. Planet. Space Sci., 37, 151–66.
Macy, W. and Sinton, W. (1977) Detection of methane and ethane emission on Neptune but not on Uranus. Astrophys. J., 218, L79–81.
Maquire, W. (1992) Identification and abundance of C2H4 on Neptune from Voyager 2 infrared observations. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., 24, 974.
Marten, A. Gautier, D., Owen, T. et al. (1992) First observations of CO and HCN on Neptune and Uranus at millimeter wavelengths and their implications for atmospheric chemistry. Astrophys. J., 406, 285–97.
Massie, S. T. and Hunten, D. M. (1982) Conversion of para and ortho hydrogen in the Jovian planets. Icarus, 49, 213–26.
Moses, J. I., Yung, Y. L. and Allen, M. (1992) Hydrocarbon nucleation and aerosol formation in Neptune's atmosphere. Icarus, 99, 318–46.
Orton, G. S., Griffin, M. J., Ade, P. A.R. et al. (1986) Submillimeter and millimeter observations of Uranus and Neptune. Icarus, 67, 289–304.
Orton, G. S., Lacy, J. H., Achtermann, J. M. et al. (1992) Thermal spectroscopy of Neptune: the stratospheric temperature, hydrocarbon abundances, and isotopic ratios. Icarus, 100, 541–55.
Pearl, J. C. and Conrath, B. J. (1991) The albedo, effective temperature and energy balance of Neptune as determined from Voyager data. J. Geophys. Res., 96, 18921–30.
Podolak, M. Hubbard, W. B. and Stevenson D. J. (1991) Models of Uranus' interior and magnetic field, in Uranus (eds J. T. Bergstralh, E. D. Miner and M. S. Matthews). Tucson: University of Arizona Press, pp. 29–61.
Pollack, J. B., Podolak, M., Bodenheimer, P. and Christofferson, B. (1986) Planetesimal dissolution in the envelopes of the of the forming, giant planets. Icarus, 67, 409–443.
Pollack, J. B., Rages, K., Pope, S. K. et al. (1987) Nature of the stratospheric haze on Uranus: evidence for condensed hydrocarbons. J. Geophys. Res., 92, 15037–65.
Price, M. J. and Franz, O. G. (1980) Neptune: limb-brightening within the 7300-angstrom methane band. Icarus, 41, 430–8.
Pryor, W. R., West, R. A., Simmons, K. E. and Delitsky, M. (1992) High-phase-angle observations of Neptune at 2650 Å and 7500 Å: haze structure and particle properties. Icarus, 99, 302–16.
Romani, P. N. and Atreya, S. K. (1988) Methane photochemistry and haze production on Neptune. Icarus, 74, 424–45.
Romani, P. N. and Atreya, S. K. (1989) Stratospheric aerosols from CH4 photochemistry on Neptune. Geophys. Res. Lett., 16, 941–4.
Romani, P. N., Bishop J., Bézard, B. and Atreya, S. (1993) Methane photochemistry on Neptune: ethane and acetylene mixing ratios and haze production. Icarus, 106, 442–63.
Romani, P. N., Lellouch, E., Rosenqvist, J. et al. (1992) HCN on Neptune: origin and vertical distribution. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., 24, 972.
Rosenqvist, J., Lellouch, E., Romani, P. N. et al. (1992) Millimeterwave observations of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune: CO and HCN on Neptune. Astrophys. J. Lett., 392, 99–102.
Savage, B. D. and Caldwell, J. (1974) Ultraviolet photometry from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. XIII. The albedoes of Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. Astrophys. J., 187 197–208.
Slavsky, D. B. and Smith, H. J. (1978). The rotation period of Neptune. Astrophys. J., 226, L49–59.
Smith, B. A., Soderblom, L. A., Banfield, D. et al. (1989) Voyager 2 at Neptune: imagining science results. Science, 246, 1422–49.
Sromovsky, L. A. (1991) Latitudinal and longitudinal oscillations of cloud features on Neptune. Science, 254, 684–6.
Stoker, C. R. and Toon, O. B. (1989) Moist convection on Neptune. Geophys. Res. Lett., 16, 929–32.
Suomi, V. E., Limaye, S. S. and Johnson, D. (1991) High winds of Neptune — a possible explanation. Science, 251, 929–32.
Terrile, R. J., and Smith, B. A. (1983) The rotation rate of Neptune from ground-based CCD imaging. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc., 15, 858.
Tyler, G. L., Sweetman, D. N., Anderson, J. D. et al. (1989) Voyager radio science observations of Neptune and Triton. Science, 246, 1466–73.
Yelle, R. V., Herbert, F., Sandel, B. R. et al. (1993) The distribution of hydrocarbons in Neptune's upper atmosphere. Icarus, 104, 38–59.
Cross references
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1997 Chapman & Hall
About this entry
Cite this entry
Baines, K.H. (1997). Neptune: Atmosphere . In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Science. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4520-4_276
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4520-4_276
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-412-06951-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-4520-2
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive