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!Solar/Describe/Neptune
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Zipped Apps » Orrery |
| Filename: | !Solar/Describe/Neptune |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 06D2 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
Usually Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun, but is occasionally further away from the Sun than the planet Pluto, which is in a highly elliptical orbit. Neptune is the smaller of the four gas giants, just smaller than Uranus, but much more massive. Faint dark rings have been detected around the blue planet, but are much less substantial than those of Saturn or Uranus. The planet has two moons, Triton with a diameter of 2,720km and Nereid only a few hundred km across, and in a highly elliptical orbit. Triton is a very dense moon and very cold, with a surface temperature of -236 degrees C. Its surface is covered with nitrogen and methane ice, and has a polar cap covered with pink 'snow'. Despite being so far away from the Sun, Neptune has considerable internal heating due to its mass. This provides enough energy to drive 1,100kmph winds in the planets atmosphere, which is mainly composed of hydrogen (85%), helium (13%) and methane which is visible as white 'cirrus-like' clouds high up in the atmosphere. Other features can be seen such as a large dark spot rotating in the southern hemisphere. This feature is similar in nature to the Great Red Spot on Jupiter. Like Uranus, Neptune has a magnetic field inclined to the rotational axis by a surprising amount, in this case 50 degrees, and also offset from the planets centre by some 10,000km. The only spacecraft to visit Neptune so far has been Voyager 2, in 1989, when it made its last encounter with a planet in our solar system. Despite a journey lasting 12 years, Voyager returned data and high-resolution colour images of excellent quality, revealing Neptune and its moons as magnificent sights at the boundary of our place in the Galaxy.
00000000 55 73 75 61 6c 6c 79 20 4e 65 70 74 75 6e 65 20 |Usually Neptune | 00000010 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 65 69 67 68 74 68 20 70 6c |is the eighth pl| 00000020 61 6e 65 74 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 53 75 |anet from the Su| 00000030 6e 2c 20 62 75 74 20 69 73 20 0a 6f 63 63 61 73 |n, but is .occas| 00000040 69 6f 6e 61 6c 6c 79 20 66 75 72 74 68 65 72 20 |ionally further | 00000050 61 77 61 79 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 53 75 |away from the Su| 00000060 6e 20 74 68 61 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 6c 61 6e 65 |n than the plane| 00000070 74 20 50 6c 75 74 6f 2c 20 0a 77 68 69 63 68 20 |t Pluto, .which | 00000080 69 73 20 69 6e 20 61 20 68 69 67 68 6c 79 20 65 |is in a highly e| 00000090 6c 6c 69 70 74 69 63 61 6c 20 6f 72 62 69 74 2e |lliptical orbit.| 000000a0 20 4e 65 70 74 75 6e 65 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 | Neptune is the | 000000b0 73 6d 61 6c 6c 65 72 20 0a 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 |smaller .of the | 000000c0 66 6f 75 72 20 67 61 73 20 67 69 61 6e 74 73 2c |four gas giants,| 000000d0 20 6a 75 73 74 20 73 6d 61 6c 6c 65 72 20 74 68 | just smaller th| 000000e0 61 6e 20 55 72 61 6e 75 73 2c 20 62 75 74 20 6d |an Uranus, but m| 000000f0 75 63 68 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 0a 6d 61 73 73 69 76 |uch more .massiv| 00000100 65 2e 20 46 61 69 6e 74 20 64 61 72 6b 20 72 69 |e. Faint dark ri| 00000110 6e 67 73 20 68 61 76 65 20 62 65 65 6e 20 64 65 |ngs have been de| 00000120 74 65 63 74 65 64 20 61 72 6f 75 6e 64 20 74 68 |tected around th| 00000130 65 20 62 6c 75 65 20 0a 70 6c 61 6e 65 74 2c 20 |e blue .planet, | 00000140 62 75 74 20 61 72 65 20 6d 75 63 68 20 6c 65 73 |but are much les| 00000150 73 20 73 75 62 73 74 61 6e 74 69 61 6c 20 74 68 |s substantial th| 00000160 61 6e 20 74 68 6f 73 65 20 6f 66 20 53 61 74 75 |an those of Satu| 00000170 72 6e 20 6f 72 20 0a 55 72 61 6e 75 73 2e 20 54 |rn or .Uranus. T| 00000180 68 65 20 70 6c 61 6e 65 74 20 68 61 73 20 74 77 |he planet has tw| 00000190 6f 20 6d 6f 6f 6e 73 2c 20 54 72 69 74 6f 6e 20 |o moons, Triton | 000001a0 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 64 69 61 6d 65 74 65 72 20 |with a diameter | 000001b0 6f 66 20 0a 32 2c 37 32 30 6b 6d 20 61 6e 64 20 |of .2,720km and | 000001c0 4e 65 72 65 69 64 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 61 20 66 65 |Nereid only a fe| 000001d0 77 20 68 75 6e 64 72 65 64 20 6b 6d 20 61 63 72 |w hundred km acr| 000001e0 6f 73 73 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 69 6e 20 61 20 0a 68 |oss, and in a .h| 000001f0 69 67 68 6c 79 20 65 6c 6c 69 70 74 69 63 61 6c |ighly elliptical| 00000200 20 6f 72 62 69 74 2e 20 54 72 69 74 6f 6e 20 69 | orbit. Triton i| 00000210 73 20 61 20 76 65 72 79 20 64 65 6e 73 65 20 6d |s a very dense m| 00000220 6f 6f 6e 20 61 6e 64 20 76 65 72 79 20 0a 63 6f |oon and very .co| 00000230 6c 64 2c 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 73 75 72 66 61 |ld, with a surfa| 00000240 63 65 20 74 65 6d 70 65 72 61 74 75 72 65 20 6f |ce temperature o| 00000250 66 20 2d 32 33 36 20 64 65 67 72 65 65 73 20 43 |f -236 degrees C| 00000260 2e 20 49 74 73 20 73 75 72 66 61 63 65 20 0a 69 |. Its surface .i| 00000270 73 20 63 6f 76 65 72 65 64 20 77 69 74 68 20 6e |s covered with n| 00000280 69 74 72 6f 67 65 6e 20 61 6e 64 20 6d 65 74 68 |itrogen and meth| 00000290 61 6e 65 20 69 63 65 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 68 61 73 |ane ice, and has| 000002a0 20 61 20 70 6f 6c 61 72 20 63 61 70 20 0a 63 6f | a polar cap .co| 000002b0 76 65 72 65 64 20 77 69 74 68 20 70 69 6e 6b 20 |vered with pink | 000002c0 27 73 6e 6f 77 27 2e 0a 0a 44 65 73 70 69 74 65 |'snow'...Despite| 000002d0 20 62 65 69 6e 67 20 73 6f 20 66 61 72 20 61 77 | being so far aw| 000002e0 61 79 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 53 75 6e 2c |ay from the Sun,| 000002f0 20 4e 65 70 74 75 6e 65 20 68 61 73 20 0a 63 6f | Neptune has .co| 00000300 6e 73 69 64 65 72 61 62 6c 65 20 69 6e 74 65 72 |nsiderable inter| 00000310 6e 61 6c 20 68 65 61 74 69 6e 67 20 64 75 65 20 |nal heating due | 00000320 74 6f 20 69 74 73 20 6d 61 73 73 2e 20 54 68 69 |to its mass. Thi| 00000330 73 20 70 72 6f 76 69 64 65 73 20 0a 65 6e 6f 75 |s provides .enou| 00000340 67 68 20 65 6e 65 72 67 79 20 74 6f 20 64 72 69 |gh energy to dri| 00000350 76 65 20 31 2c 31 30 30 6b 6d 70 68 20 77 69 6e |ve 1,100kmph win| 00000360 64 73 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 6c 61 6e 65 74 |ds in the planet| 00000370 73 20 0a 61 74 6d 6f 73 70 68 65 72 65 2c 20 77 |s .atmosphere, w| 00000380 68 69 63 68 20 69 73 20 6d 61 69 6e 6c 79 20 63 |hich is mainly c| 00000390 6f 6d 70 6f 73 65 64 20 6f 66 20 68 79 64 72 6f |omposed of hydro| 000003a0 67 65 6e 20 28 38 35 25 29 2c 20 68 65 6c 69 75 |gen (85%), heliu| 000003b0 6d 20 0a 28 31 33 25 29 20 61 6e 64 20 6d 65 74 |m .(13%) and met| 000003c0 68 61 6e 65 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 69 73 20 76 69 |hane which is vi| 000003d0 73 69 62 6c 65 20 61 73 20 77 68 69 74 65 20 27 |sible as white '| 000003e0 63 69 72 72 75 73 2d 6c 69 6b 65 27 20 0a 63 6c |cirrus-like' .cl| 000003f0 6f 75 64 73 20 68 69 67 68 20 75 70 20 69 6e 20 |ouds high up in | 00000400 74 68 65 20 61 74 6d 6f 73 70 68 65 72 65 2e 20 |the atmosphere. | 00000410 4f 74 68 65 72 20 66 65 61 74 75 72 65 73 20 63 |Other features c| 00000420 61 6e 20 62 65 20 73 65 65 6e 20 0a 73 75 63 68 |an be seen .such| 00000430 20 61 73 20 61 20 6c 61 72 67 65 20 64 61 72 6b | as a large dark| 00000440 20 73 70 6f 74 20 72 6f 74 61 74 69 6e 67 20 69 | spot rotating i| 00000450 6e 20 74 68 65 20 73 6f 75 74 68 65 72 6e 20 68 |n the southern h| 00000460 65 6d 69 73 70 68 65 72 65 2e 20 0a 54 68 69 73 |emisphere. .This| 00000470 20 66 65 61 74 75 72 65 20 69 73 20 73 69 6d 69 | feature is simi| 00000480 6c 61 72 20 69 6e 20 6e 61 74 75 72 65 20 74 6f |lar in nature to| 00000490 20 74 68 65 20 47 72 65 61 74 20 52 65 64 20 53 | the Great Red S| 000004a0 70 6f 74 20 6f 6e 20 0a 4a 75 70 69 74 65 72 2e |pot on .Jupiter.| 000004b0 20 4c 69 6b 65 20 55 72 61 6e 75 73 2c 20 4e 65 | Like Uranus, Ne| 000004c0 70 74 75 6e 65 20 68 61 73 20 61 20 6d 61 67 6e |ptune has a magn| 000004d0 65 74 69 63 20 66 69 65 6c 64 20 69 6e 63 6c 69 |etic field incli| 000004e0 6e 65 64 20 74 6f 20 0a 74 68 65 20 72 6f 74 61 |ned to .the rota| 000004f0 74 69 6f 6e 61 6c 20 61 78 69 73 20 62 79 20 61 |tional axis by a| 00000500 20 73 75 72 70 72 69 73 69 6e 67 20 61 6d 6f 75 | surprising amou| 00000510 6e 74 2c 20 69 6e 20 74 68 69 73 20 63 61 73 65 |nt, in this case| 00000520 20 35 30 20 0a 64 65 67 72 65 65 73 2c 20 61 6e | 50 .degrees, an| 00000530 64 20 61 6c 73 6f 20 6f 66 66 73 65 74 20 66 72 |d also offset fr| 00000540 6f 6d 20 74 68 65 20 70 6c 61 6e 65 74 73 20 63 |om the planets c| 00000550 65 6e 74 72 65 20 62 79 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 0a 31 |entre by some .1| 00000560 30 2c 30 30 30 6b 6d 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 6f 6e |0,000km...The on| 00000570 6c 79 20 73 70 61 63 65 63 72 61 66 74 20 74 6f |ly spacecraft to| 00000580 20 76 69 73 69 74 20 4e 65 70 74 75 6e 65 20 73 | visit Neptune s| 00000590 6f 20 66 61 72 20 68 61 73 20 62 65 65 6e 20 56 |o far has been V| 000005a0 6f 79 61 67 65 72 20 32 2c 20 0a 69 6e 20 31 39 |oyager 2, .in 19| 000005b0 38 39 2c 20 77 68 65 6e 20 69 74 20 6d 61 64 65 |89, when it made| 000005c0 20 69 74 73 20 6c 61 73 74 20 65 6e 63 6f 75 6e | its last encoun| 000005d0 74 65 72 20 77 69 74 68 20 61 20 70 6c 61 6e 65 |ter with a plane| 000005e0 74 20 69 6e 20 6f 75 72 20 0a 73 6f 6c 61 72 20 |t in our .solar | 000005f0 73 79 73 74 65 6d 2e 20 44 65 73 70 69 74 65 20 |system. Despite | 00000600 61 20 6a 6f 75 72 6e 65 79 20 6c 61 73 74 69 6e |a journey lastin| 00000610 67 20 31 32 20 79 65 61 72 73 2c 20 56 6f 79 61 |g 12 years, Voya| 00000620 67 65 72 20 0a 72 65 74 75 72 6e 65 64 20 64 61 |ger .returned da| 00000630 74 61 20 61 6e 64 20 68 69 67 68 2d 72 65 73 6f |ta and high-reso| 00000640 6c 75 74 69 6f 6e 20 63 6f 6c 6f 75 72 20 69 6d |lution colour im| 00000650 61 67 65 73 20 6f 66 20 65 78 63 65 6c 6c 65 6e |ages of excellen| 00000660 74 20 0a 71 75 61 6c 69 74 79 2c 20 72 65 76 65 |t .quality, reve| 00000670 61 6c 69 6e 67 20 4e 65 70 74 75 6e 65 20 61 6e |aling Neptune an| 00000680 64 20 69 74 73 20 6d 6f 6f 6e 73 20 61 73 20 6d |d its moons as m| 00000690 61 67 6e 69 66 69 63 65 6e 74 20 73 69 67 68 74 |agnificent sight| 000006a0 73 20 0a 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 62 6f 75 6e 64 61 |s .at the bounda| 000006b0 72 79 20 6f 66 20 6f 75 72 20 70 6c 61 63 65 20 |ry of our place | 000006c0 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 47 61 6c 61 78 79 2e 20 20 |in the Galaxy. | 000006d0 0a 0a |..| 000006d2
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