What Is the Average Temperature on Neptune?
Neptune has an average temperature of -373 degrees Fahrenheit, while the clouds that make up the planet's atmosphere range between -240 and -330 degrees Fahrenheit. Neptune is an ice giant that is primarily made up of a scalding-hot, dense mixture of water, methane and ammonia that likely sits on top of a solid, Earth-sized core.
The clouds that make up Neptune's atmosphere are made up of methane, hydrogen and helium. The planet is cold and dark and is regularly subjected to extreme wind speeds and massive twisting storms that are constantly traversing its surface. Neptune is the eighth-furthest planet from the sun, at about 2.8 billion miles away.
Pressures and temperatures vary at different elevations. The warmest areas on the planet are located on its southern polar region, according to astronomical observations taken by scientists in 2007. The temperature in the upper cloud stratum was found to be around 50 degrees F hotter than the rest of Neptune. The bluish color of the planet is attributed to leaked methane, which is the result of this occurrence.
