The eighth planet from the Sun is unexpectedly cooling down in the middle of its 40-year summer.
of how methane in the planet’s upper atmosphere reflects light). But seen in thermal-infrared light, Neptune’s south pole is noticeably bright, indicating a warmer temperature.Gizmodo needs your help identifying which universities are training students in your field. Click here to take a quick survey.
The researchers aren’t sure what may cause the large variation between Neptune’s poles and its more central areas; weather patterns may have affected the observations, or changes in the planet’s stratospheric chemistry may have caused different temperatures. Upcoming ground-based telescopes—especially the
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