Neptune finishes First Orbit Around the Sun Since Discovery

[MeteorWayne]

Neptune Finally Makes First Orbit Around the Sun Since Discovery In 1846

The planet Neptune will be in opposition — when the sun, Earth, and a planet fall in a straight line on Aug. 20. The planet will be exactly opposite the sun in the sky, being highest in the sky at local midnight. Usually this is also the point where the planet is closest to the Earth.

This opposition is special because Neptune will be returning close to the spot where it was discovered in 1846, marking its first complete trip around the sun since its discovery.

Coincidentally opposition in 1846 also fell on Aug. 20, although the planet wasn't actually spotted until over a month later, on Sept. 23.

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/neptune ... 00818.html

 

[bdewoody]

It just goes to show that relative to space exploration mankind's life span is way too short. Relative to the amount of time a single person has to explore space even manned trips to our outer planets take way too long. Maybe we will have to evolve into a form that can live for centuries before deep space travel is practical.

 

[Gravity_Ray]

Its just amazing that even our puny solar system is this massive. Really puts it out there, how big the local group is and that, its just a dot on one arm of the Milky Way. Which is one in almost a countless number of galaxies out there...

Massive!!

 

[csmyth3025]

Imagine how astounded the astronomers from 160 years ago would be if they were somehow magically transported to this time for a glimpse of the images we now have of this distant planet.

Imaging how equally astounded we would be if we could see a glimpse of the astronomy taking place 160 years from now.

Chris

 

[EarthlingX]

http://www.universetoday.com : Clearing the Confusion on Neptune’s Orbit

by Nancy Atkinson

Aug 26th, 2010


Neptune in the night sky. Credit: Starry Night Software, via Space.com

Last week, Space.com had a great article about how on August 20, 2010, Neptune finally completed one orbit around the Sun since its discovery in 1846, and was now back to its original discovery position in the night sky . The original article was widely quoted, and created a lot of buzz on Twitter, Facebook and other websites. But then, later in the day some contradictory info came out, culminating with Bill Folkner, a technologist at JPL declaring via Twitter: “Neptune will reach the same ecliptic longitude it had on Sep. 23, 1846, on July 12, 2011.” Space.com ended up amending their article, but why the confusion? And could both statements be true? Depending on your perspective, perhaps yes.

http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/ : Neptune in the sky now

 

[MeteorWayne]

Thanx Ex!!

 

[bdewoody]

Aug 20 is significant to me as it is my birthday but if we have to wait another 11 month to celebrate Neptunes completion of an orbit so be it.

 

[3488]

Thanx Ex!!

Yes indeed Wayne, I agree. Thanks EarthlingX.

Great explanation too. Bottom line is that Neptune appears from Earth GEOCENTRIC at the same ecliptic langitude as from a HELIOCENTRIC viewpoint at the moment of discovery.

Whilst I do not always view Wikipedia as being 100% accurate (found many mistakes myself on there), the article concerning the discovery of Neptune however is very good.

Discovery of Neptune.

Do you realise that Neptune's large retrograding moon Triton was discovered only 17 days after Neptune itself???

Neptune as seen from Earth: Friday 20th August 2010.

Neptune as seen from the Sun. Friday 20th August 2010.

Neptune as seen from Earth: Tuesday 12th July 2011.

Neptune as seen from the Sun: Tuesday 12th July 2011.

Thought I would throw this in for completeness. Earth from Sun: Tuesday 12th July 2011.

Andrew Brown.

 

[EarthlingX]

Very nice, thanks :mrgreen:

I was checking it in Celestia, but it's hard to align it properly to be able to get some sense out of the picture. This images make it more obvious, i think ..

About Wikipedia : English version is pretty good, other languages so-so, and up to this moment i made plenty of edits (my guess would be over 1k), some of them stay, some are changed, but no info is removed, if properly referenced. They can get a bit annoying with demands for poetic expression, but i mostly ignore that nonsense and stay with crude facts, with no ill effects.