• Question: Is Neptune a gas giant?

    Asked by Bradley to Christie, Dan, David, Dawn, Sian on 20 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Christie Waddington

      Christie Waddington answered on 20 Jun 2016:

      Yes! It is one of 4 gas giants in the solar system (the others being Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus) and is now the farthest planet in our solar system (since Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet!). Its also part of a subclass of gas giants called an ice giant (like Uranus). Its core is made of rock and ice as well as metals such as iron, nickel and silicates, its mantle (area surrounding the core) is water, ammonia and methane ices and its atmosphere is 80% hydrogen, 19% helium and traces of methane.

    • Photo: Sian Thomas

      Sian Thomas answered on 21 Jun 2016:

      Nothing to add to David’s excellent answer. Clearly his area of expertise not mine!

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