Glossary (NEPTUNE)

Johann Galle

Johann Galle was a German astronomer who, along with Heinrich d'Arrest, discovered Neptune in 1846 based on calculations by Urbain Le Verrier.

Great Dark Spot

The Great Dark Spot was a large, dark, oval-shaped storm in Neptune's atmosphere observed by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989. Similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot, it was a dynamic feature in Neptune's turbulent atmosphere.

Voyager 2 (1989)

Voyager 2 is a NASA spacecraft that flew by Neptune in 1989, providing the first close-up images of the planet and its moons. It discovered several new moons and studied Neptune's atmosphere, rings, and magnetic field.

Triton

Triton is the largest moon of Neptune and the seventh-largest moon in the solar system. It has a thin atmosphere and geysers that eject nitrogen gas into space.

Cryovolcanoes

Cryovolcanoes are volcanoes that erupt volatiles such as water, ammonia, or methane instead of molten rock. They are common on icy moons and dwarf planets in the outer solar system, including Neptune's moon Triton.

Urbain Le Verrier

Urbain Le Verrier was a French mathematician and astronomer who played a significant role in the discovery of Neptune. He is known for accurately predicting the existence and position of Neptune through mathematical calculations based on discrepancies in the orbit of Uranus. Le Verrier's calculations led to the observation of Neptune in 1846, marking a major milestone in the history of astronomy and celestial mechanics.