Earth Sciences 1086F/G Lecture 18: Unit 5.4_Uranus and Neptune
4 Apr 2016
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Uranus is seventh, and neptune is eighth in the line of planets. Although the 4 outer planets have been grouped as gas giants, it may be more appropriate:: jupiter and saturn as gas giants, uranus and neptune as ice giants! Astronomers classify hydrogen and helium as gases, and water, ammonia and methane as ices: uranus and neptune have higher proportions of the ices than they do the gases! These 2 planets are, in many ways, twins: roughly 4 times larger than earth, each circled by thin dark rings, both have an atmosphere of methane, both have thick layers of slush" ice beneath those atmospheres! They do have differences as well: most signi cant is the internal heat! Uranus radiates almost no heat at all - could have something to do with the planet being. Galileo actually saw neptune in late 1612 and early 1613!
