I like to think I have decent knowledge of the universe and aspire to learn more and to begin studying astrophysics. One thing at a time though. So I figured I’d come here and ask and see what others think. What are the chances that Neptune looks like this? I know it’s impossible to know for sure, but perhaps someone with a higher level of knowledge and understanding can provide some input.
Same question for Jupiter - if you visited Jupiter by spacecraft 5,000 years from now, would you likely see views similar to what is pictured below? Or would it be nothing but thick clouds with chaotic weather events and a limited view?
I'm not sure if Neptune is a gas giant (I think it is), but Jupiter is, and according to what I read long ago in my dad's Time/Life books (hey, they were cutting edge in the 60's when he bought them!) the gas giants don't really have a surface, at least not that you could visit. As I recall it said you could just keep descending and the gasses would gradually get thicker, but you're not going to find a place where there's a solid surface you can stand on. I mean, there obviously is a surface, but the atmospheric pressure there would crush you. And I don't believe you could look up and see clear sky above you, unless you're very close to the outer surface of the atmosphere, in which case there would be thousands of miles of thick swirling gasses below you. It would get pitch black a little ways down, long before you reach anything like a surface, like it does in the ocean. Of course that was the 60's understanding, it may have changed drastically since then. Just thought I'd throw it out there.
Some scientists think it rains diamonds on Uranus and Neptune so you probably have a good amount of artistic license I think. I'd just study as much in the topic and choose something semi-realistic. And maybe explain it like "Scientists centuries ago thought it rained diamonds on Neptune. They weren't wrong..."
Hmm, so why not begin on a writer's forum where, almost by definition, nearly all of us "make stuff up"
@WorldsStrongestPolyglot Spoiler What's It Like Inside Neptune? Below The Clouds Of An Ice Giant Planet (4K UHD) - YouTube Color - Wikipedia Methane - Wikipedia Neptune - Wikipedia From your images these are impressions from Neptune’s upper atmosphere. They look highly possible with the large content of Methane in the atmosphere. Light penetrating through the clouds would give off a blue hue. Moving closer to the centre as the pressure builds, we hit the mantel. Here things start to breakdown, methane cannot remain stable and is broken up into carbon and hydrogen. Maybe diamond rain occurs or a liquid outer layer to the mantel of pure carbon. From this POV then no blue hue would be visible, maybe way up in the upper atmosphere, but that’s along way away. I’d suggest darker blacks. Look at the Image breakdown in the wiki…. Hope this helps MartinM.
@WorldsStrongestPolglot Spoiler Jupiter - Wikipedia Metallic hydrogen - Wikipedia Specific impulse - Wikipedia Jupiter is the Solar Systems calming influencer. It will not change in any significant way for hundreds of thousands of years to come. Both it and Saturn have one of the most valuable cores known to man. That’s Metallic Hydrogen. Just as a rocket propellant it’s got enormous potential. It’s Theoretical specific impulse of up to 1700 seconds. The most powerful chemical rocket propellants have an ISP of less than 500 seconds. This is just one use, but there are many more… The outer cloud layers will change and I think the spot will disappear within 100years. However, this is just surface detail and the planet system itself is going nowhere. Hope this helps… MartinM.
So regarding the picture with the visible clouds and blue hue, it is possible we would see this if we descended into Neptune? Would you be “on” Neptune (I know Neptune is a gas-technically ice-giant planet with no surface, but would you be able to radio back to your friends on Earth that you’re “on” Neptune)? since we don’t know for sure, could we classify such a journey as science fiction? Let’s assume we have technology at our disposal that will not be achieved in real life for another 100,000 years (so this is purely assumption, an assumption we will progress to such a level of tech) could we say this is science fiction or is it fantasy? I would love to write this story at some point but I would rather not have to perform years worth of research (at least not now, I do in the future). Regarding Jupiter, I want to write the journey of this before November, then the characters head to Neptune.
Yes, but it would be very dark. And you would have to be above the cloud layer. Of course you could. You could radio and tell them you're on Neptune if you're in Los Angeles. It's up to YOU to decide what your characters consider being "on" Neptune, given that there's no solid surface. What else would you classify it as? Unless they travelled there by magic, of course. No human being has ever been to Neptune, and only one probe has been there, and it didn't enter the atmosphere. It's fiction - make it up. You're not writing hard sci-fi, so it just has to be vaguely believable. Sorry to be harsh, but just get on and write the story - it sounds to me like these questions are an excuse to procrastinate.
I don't know much about astronomy or planets (preface everything I say here with that caveat). But simply from a linguistic angle, I'd say you could use several different terms, depending on how the character talks (as Naomasa already said). You yourself just wrote 'descending into Neptune' above. That would be a good way. Or maybe 'within Neptune's atmosphere'. Or even have the character state it the way you did here: "I've reached Neptune! (I know Neptune is a gas-technically ice-giant planet with no surface... " It depends on how technically correct he likes to be.
"I am now entering Uranus." Oh sorry, that's an accidental transmission from the starship pilot and his girlfriend.
Don't create duplicate accounts, kids, especially if you've already been banned once. Hope this helps... Homer P I was waiting for that... well played, friend. Regarding Neptune, nobody knows anything about it, as others have mentioned. They know it's there, they know its mass, distance, rotational rate and orbital period... most of which was gleaned centuries ago. Modern-ish spectroscopy reveals a surface atmosphere of molecular hydrogen, helium, and a little methane (3%). Other than that? Go to town!
Maybe to his girlfriend? Into would be a little over the top... But I think this requires a slightly different spelling for astronomy.
And is inferred to be extremely cold since those normally gaseous elements appear to be solid (distance from the sun would also support this)...
