NEPTUNE[/caption]Neptune
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Welcome back My Dear Readers to The Other Shoe. Today we make a return to ‘Lost in Space’! This article series was suspended, about a month ago, due to demands made by my health. The diagnosis of my Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has forced me to ‘scale back’ a lot of my endeavors and writing projects. This means a real loss for you, My Dear Readers, and for that I would like to express my deep and heartfelt apologies. It was never my intent to deprive you of content or reading material.
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However, I have to be honest about my limitations with my current diagnosis. As well, with the launch of Danny’s Cancer Treatment Fund at Indiegogo there have not been enough days in the week. Further, right now I am suffering with crushing depression because of the failure of my attempt to raise the money I need for (successfully) fight my cancer. With nearly 100 people ‘Sharing’ my campaign and only $10 raised I am beside myself with feelings of failure. I can only hope that this trend changes and… somehow… people understand that without their help I simply cannot fight this cancer within me.
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Today our subject of ‘Lost in Space’ is the blue icy Giant Neptune! Neptune was named for the Greek God of the seas and earthquakes. Neptune was the first planet discovered by mathematical projection rather than empirical observation. Alexis Bouvard noted unexpected changes in the orbit of Uranus, leading to his mathematical discovery of Neptune[1]. However, Galileo included Neptune in drawings of the solar system he made in 1612.
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Neptune is the forth-largest planet in our solar system, and is the third largest by mass.[2] Neptune is one of my favorites simply because of its deep blue color, looking to be an Oceanic planet. This ‘blue marble’ of our solar system is even more vivid than our home planet, Earth. Unlike Mars, we have yet to have our robotic sojourners get close enough to penetrate the atmosphere of Neptune. We have no idea if there are continents on the surface of this planet.
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Mankind knew nothing of the ‘Great Dark Spot’ on the cloud surface of Neptune until the Voyager mission. Voyager sent back the very first images of the ‘Great Dark Spot’ of Neptune. Below is an image of the ‘Great Dark Spot’ .
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Neptune's 'Great Dark Spot'[/caption](Neptune’s ‘Great Dark Spot’ )
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The extremely thick atmosphere of Neptune is made up of, primarily, hydrogen (74%), helium (25%0 and methane (1%).Neptune’s atmosphere is a dangerous place with winds ranging, in speed, from 1,300 miles per hour to up to 300 miles per second! Voyager 2 and the Hubble Space Telescope are giving mankind its best images and information about Neptune, and this mysterious atmosphere.
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Cross-Section of Neptune[/caption](Cross-Section of Neptune)
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Our next image, for today, is a comparison of size between our home planet, Earth, and this Jovian Giant Neptune. We take fro granted that our home is just got to be the; largest, best, nicest and yuda, yuda, yuda, since we are here on Earth. That is not the case, as you can clearly see in the following image. Neptune is many times larger than Earth!
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Size Comparison of Earth to Neptune[/caption](Size Comparison of Earth to Neptune)
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Triton is the largest of Neptune’s THIRTEEN moons![3] As well, Triton is the only moon in our solar system that has a retrograde orbit around it’s host planet, Neptune. That means that Triton revolves around Neptune in the opposite direction as Neptune’s rotation. The image below shows the moons of Neptune and Neptune’s ring, too.
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The Moons of Neptune and It’s Ring[/caption](The Moons of Neptune and It’s Ring)
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For out next image I move away from actual images from space and to an artist’s conception of what a Neptune Rise would look like from the surface of the retrograde orbiting Triton. Again, this is not an actual photograph from the surface of Triton but a very imaginative artist’s concept of how that scene might appear.
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Neptune as Seen From Triton’s Surface[/caption](Neptune as Seen From Triton’s Surface)
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Moving back to the ‘Great Spot’ of Neptune, for a moment, I have yet another image of this incredible eye in the clouds of Neptune. This image is much sharper and quite a bit more vivid, as it was taken by the highly advanced imaging processors and lenses of the Hubble Space Telescope.
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Hubble Image of Neptune’s Great Dark Spot[/caption](Hubble Image of Neptune’s Great Dark Spot)
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Our last two images, of Neptune, for today are what area called ‘False Color’ images. They are both of the atmosphere of Neptune and have been altered to improve our viewing of the atmosphere. The first of the two images was taken, again, by the Hubble Space Telescope. With the false imaging we can see, more clearly, the extent and texture of the atmosphere of Neptune.
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False Color Image from Hubble of Neptune’s Atmosphere[/caption](False Color Image from Hubble of Neptune’s Atmosphere)
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Now, for our final image of the day is another shot of Neptune’s atmosphere. This is another ‘False Color’ image, to give us a better understanding of this thick and mysterious atmosphere on the planet Neptune.
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False Color Image of Neptune’s Atmosphere from Voyager 2[/caption](False Color Image of Neptune’s Atmosphere from Voyager 2)
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With that, My Dear Readers, we come to the very end of this week’s edition of ‘Lost in Space – Neptune’. This is the fifth installment of our ‘Solar System Tour’ of ‘Lost in Space’ here at The Other Shoe. I would like to thank you all, My Dear Readers, for dropping by and taking time (out of your busy days) to spend Star Gazing with me.
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I have one final request of you, My Dear Readers! If you would please take a moment… and click on the link below? That link takes you to Danny’s Cancer Treatment Fund @ Indiegogo. My Dear Readers I have been diagnosed with a very advanced case of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and I need your help! Whereas I can write with the best of them, I am poor when it comes to financial means. I am quite content to live within my limited means, but now a cancer means to take life away from me!
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I cannot… I will not let that stand! I simply must fight this cancer that has invaded my body, and threatens my life. Yet, I cannot imagine winning… without YOUR help. Right now, I simply cannot afford; medications, transportation, medical assistance, and non-covered costs. With your help? I can continue on for many more years. Without your help? I cannot survive much longer.
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Do not ask for much, and I do not ask often. However, now is time for me to request your assistance? Please take a moment… and help me FIGHT this invader… this CANCER. Thank you!
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Adieu!
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Thank YOU!
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PLEASE DONATE to
Danny's Cancer Treatment Fund @ Indiegogo
[caption id="attachment_3338" align="aligncenter" width="225"]
Danny in Rolling Hills Estates August 12, 2014[/caption].
[…] Lost in Space – Solar System Tour – NEPTUNE – “However, I have to be honest about my limitations with my current diagnosis. As well, with the launch of Danny’s Cancer Treatment Fund at Indiegogo there have not been enough days in the week. Further, right now I am suffering with crushing depression because of the failure of my attempt to raise the money I need for (successfully) fight my cancer. With nearly 100 people ‘Sharing’ my campaign and only $10 raised I am beside myself with feelings of failure. I can only hope that this trend changes and… somehow… people understand that without their help I simply cannot fight this cancer within me.” This was the first time in several weeks, more like a month or more, that I was able to write and publish both ‘The Mars Report’ and ‘Lost in Space’ BOTH in the same week! Finally, there were enough new images from Mars and I had the will and good health to put together the next location in my ‘Toru of the Solar System’. I am not sure if I will be able to replicate this, next week, but I will try. I am quite proud of this edition and all the information and images of Neptune! This was an edition of ‘Lost in Space’ that brings me great pride. […]
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