Why is the planet Neptune blue?

KOMPA.com – Planet Neptunethe eighth planet from the Sun, is known as blue planet. Not all planets have a color like Neptune. Here is a scientific explanation of why Neptune is blue.

Neptune gets its blue color from atmosphere covering the surface of the planet. The main components of Neptune’s atmosphere are hydrogen, helium and methane.

This gas content is capable of absorbing red light and reflecting blue light into the atmosphere.

Read also: The clearest sighting of the planet Neptune, photographed by the James Webb telescope

Because Neptune is bluer than Uranus?

In fact, Neptune and Uranus both have these two gases. Therefore the colors of the two planets are almost the same.

Furthermore, both are also planets made up of gas and ice. Both Neptune and Uranus are nearly the same size and mass.

However, Neptune has a darker blue color than Uranus that ranges from lighter blue to pale blue.

The researchers found the answer. The difference lies in the content of methane and hydrogen sulfide in the atmospheres of the two planets.

The planet Uranus has methane which is twice as thick as the methane layer in Neptune’s atmosphere.

Frozen hydrogen sulfide mixes with methane particles, forming ice.

This ice is what causes Uranus to have a thin white layer on its surface, so the blue color looks lighter.

Read also: Neptune, the planet furthest from the sun