Planet Neptune’s Disappearing Clouds Linked to the Solar Cycle | Hubble

Planet Neptune’s Disappearing Clouds Linked to the Solar Cycle | Hubble

Recent observations from the Hubble Space Telescope show that Neptune's clouds are almost completely disappearing! Astronomers report that their continual monitoring of Neptune’s weather uncovered a link between its shifting cloud abundance and the 11-year solar cycle, where the Sun’s activity waxes and wanes under the driving force of its entangled magnetic field. 

At present, the cloud coverage seen on Neptune is extremely low, with the exception of some clouds hovering over the giant planet’s south pole. A team of astronomers discovered that the abundance of clouds normally seen at the icy giant’s mid-latitudes started to fade in 2019.

For more information, visit: https://nasa.gov/hubble

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center 

Paul Morris: Lead Producer 

Image Credit: Image of Lick Observatory from UC Santa Cruz

Duration: 1 minute, 36 seconds

Release Date: Aug. 17, 2023

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