Neptune is over 1 billion miles (1.6 billion km) farther away from the Sun than Uranus, but the two planets are close in temperature: –365°F (-220°C) on Neptune; –355°F (-214°C) on Uranus.
This results from Neptune’s interior, which is not as solid as Uranus’s.
A partially fluid core will experience more movement than a solid core, and movement, friction, creates heat.
While Neptune is not hotter than Uranus, it is much warmer than expected, given its distance from the Sun.
Related Posts
-
How Cold Is the Planet Uranus and What Effects Does Uranus’s Cold Temperature Have On Its Atmosphere?
Voyager 2 registered a nearly consistent temperature of –155°F (-221°C) on Uranus. Strong winds, up to 180 miles (288 km) per hour, that blow in the same direction as Uranus rotates keep the…
-
How Was Neptune Discovered and How Did Astronomers Determine That the Planet Neptune Existed Beyond Uranus?
Galileo first observed Neptune on December 28, 1612, but he mistook Neptune for a fixed star when it appeared very close to Jupiter in the night sky. The search for Neptune began when…
-
When Was Uranus Discovered, How Did the Planet Uranus Get Its Name, and What Does Uranus Mean In Greek?
William Herschel (1738-1822) was a musician who began to study the mathematical foundation of harmony. Mathematics led him to astronomy, and, with the help of his sister, Caroline, Herschel set out to map…
-
What Is Uranus Made of and Why Does the Planet Uranus Have Such a Low Internal Temperature?
The planet Uranus has a mass that is about 14.5 times of the planet Earth, and it is the least massive of the giant planets in our solar system. Uranus lacks a distinct…
-
What Is Wrong With the Orbit of the Planet Uranus and How Did the Planet Neptune Get Its Name?
After William Herschel's discovery of Uranus in 1781, astronomers studied the new planet carefully, but something was wrong with its orbit. It went wildly off track, and some scientists even started to question…
-
What Is the Seventh Planet From the Sun, How Big Is Uranus, and How Far Is the Planet Uranus From the Sun?
Uranus is the third gas giant and the seventh planet from the Sun. The planet Uranus has a diameter of about 30,000 miles (50,000 Km), and is the size of 63 earths. Uranus…
