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 Newton’s laws of gravity.
The mystery remained unsolved until 1846, when another planet was discovered in orbit beyond Uranus.
English astronomer John Couch Adams and French astronomer Urbain Leverrier each discovered the huge planet whose gravitational pull was influencing Uranus.
The planet was named Neptune after the Roman sea god.
Related Posts
-
How Does Uranus’s Tilt On Its Axis Effect Its Orbit and How Long Does Uranus Take To Orbit the Sun?
As Uranus orbits the Sun, first the north pole faces the solar surface, then the equator, then the south pole, and then the equator again. This gives Uranus seasons that are unique and…
-
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…
-
How Cold Is the Planet Neptune and Why Is Neptune About the Same Temperature As Uranus?
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…
-
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 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…
-
What Color Is the Planet Neptune and Why Is Neptune’s Atmosphere Bright Blue?
The planet Neptune has an atmosphere of hydrogen, helium, and methane, just as Uranus does. The methane, which lies in a haze over the planet's thick cloud cover, absorbs the red end of…
