Similar in composition to Uranus (small and cold)

Hydrogen and helium atmosphere, with large traces of methane (blue)

• greater interior heat than Uranus drives storms, winds and clouds

• active clouds and hurricanes (features come and go)

• Great Dark Spot, Scooter

Rings

• dusty composition

• dense arcs and light arcs – unstable?

• shepherd moons push and hold the rings in place

Major and minor moon

• Nereid: orbits counter-clockwise, as do most objects in the solar system

• Triton: orbits clockwise, rich nitrogen atmosphere, craters and evidence of flooding, geysers – active surface!

• minor moons: small and rocky

	Scooter	Cloud Streaks
	Cloud Evolution	Small Dark Spot
Images of Neptune and its cloud systems. [NASA]