DJ Philly

Neptune's Summer

Neptune is a fascinating planet, maybe because it's blueness reminds me of Earth a little, and the moon Triton with it's ice volcanoes, but it turns out, Neptune also has seasons just like Earth, although they last 40 years or so !

It also turns out that Neptune heats up and cools down during these seasons, oddly from the polar regions rather than the equator, but this is most likely a function of the weather on the planet.

Recent observations have found the Southern polar region (which is currently in Summer) has warmed up quite dramatically while other areas have cooled down.

Readings taken over the last 15 years confirm that as the seasons slowly change, so does the temperature, although quite why recently that has accelerated so much isn't known for sure.

Sadly, there are currently no planned missions to Neptune with the exception of a Chinese probe (although that is not known yet, and slated for 2024 launch), either way, it's unlikely we will see many more images except the ones Voyager took as it passed Neptune back in 1989.