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You are here: Home / Space / How Was Neptune Discovered and How Did Astronomers Determine That the Planet Neptune Existed Beyond Uranus?

How Was Neptune Discovered and How Did Astronomers Determine That the Planet Neptune Existed Beyond Uranus?

July 30, 2020 by Karen Hill

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 astronomers noticed that Uranus’s movements, particularly its orbit, didn’t correspond to their expectations.

One explanation was that another planet existed beyond Uranus, and exerted its gravitational force on Uranus.

In 1846 astronomers calculated exactly where such a planet would have to be, pointed their telescopes to that spot in the sky, and found Neptune.

In 2011, Neptune will complete its first orbit since it was discovered in 1846.

Related Facts

  • How did astronomers discover the planet Neptune and When?
  • When Was Uranus Discovered, How Did the Planet Uranus Get Its Name, and What Does Uranus Mean In Greek?
  • How Cold Is the Planet Neptune and Why Is Neptune About the Same Temperature As Uranus?
  • What Is Wrong With the Orbit of the Planet Uranus and How Did the Planet Neptune Get Its Name?
  • Where Is Planet X Located, Why Was Pluto Called Planet X, and Why Hasn’t Planet X Been Found?
  • How Was the Planet Pluto Discovered and How Long Did It Take Astronomers To Discover Pluto After Neptune?

Filed Under: Space

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What Is Uranus Made of and Why Does the Planet Uranus Have Such a Low Internal Temperature?
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