Pippa Corbett answered
The temperature on Neptune is generally very cold. Because the planet is so far away from the sun, the average temperature is -200 °C.
The temperature on Neptune
Since scientists' decision to 'downgrade' Pluto to the status of dwarf-planet, Neptune has officially become the farthest planet from the sun in our solar system.
In fact, the distance between Neptune and the sun is three-times greater than the distance between the sun and Saturn!
Because all the planets in our solar system rely on the sun as their primary source of heat, Neptune is a very cold planet indeed - and the outer layers of Neptune's clouds can drop to temperatures of -218 °C.
This is in contrast to the planet's very hot core, which is thought to reach temperatures of around 5000 °C.
Other aspects of Neptune which affect its surface temperature are its orbit, axis and rotation, which result in a situation where - at certain times of a Neptunian year (which lasts 167 Earth years) -different parts of the planet are warmer than others.
The temperature on Neptune
Since scientists' decision to 'downgrade' Pluto to the status of dwarf-planet, Neptune has officially become the farthest planet from the sun in our solar system.
In fact, the distance between Neptune and the sun is three-times greater than the distance between the sun and Saturn!
Because all the planets in our solar system rely on the sun as their primary source of heat, Neptune is a very cold planet indeed - and the outer layers of Neptune's clouds can drop to temperatures of -218 °C.
This is in contrast to the planet's very hot core, which is thought to reach temperatures of around 5000 °C.
Other aspects of Neptune which affect its surface temperature are its orbit, axis and rotation, which result in a situation where - at certain times of a Neptunian year (which lasts 167 Earth years) -different parts of the planet are warmer than others.
