Why Neptune and Uranus appear in different shades of blue
- June 2, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Why Neptune and Uranus appear in different shades of blue
Subject: Science and Tech
Section: Space
- Neptune and Uranus have much in common — they have similar masses, sizes, and atmospheric compositions — yet their appearances are in different shades of blue.
- At visible wavelengths, Neptune is a rich, deep azure hue, while Uranus is a distinctly pale shade of cyan.
- Reason:
- Haze around Uranus is thicker than that around Neptune: Uranus’s stagnant, sluggish atmosphere and makes it appear a lighter tone than Neptune
- There are three aerosol layers in the atmospheres of Neptune and Uranus.
- The key layer that affects the colours is the middle layer, which is a layer of haze particles that is thicker on Uranus than on Neptune.
- Methane ice condenses onto the particles in this layer, pulling the particles deeper into the atmosphere.
- Because Neptune has a more active, turbulent atmosphere than Uranus does,thus Neptune’s atmosphere is more efficient at churning up methane particles into the haze layer.
- This removes more of the haze and keeps Neptune’s haze layer thinner than it is on Uranus, with the result that the blue colour of Neptune looks stronger.
- Haze around Uranus is thicker than that around Neptune: Uranus’s stagnant, sluggish atmosphere and makes it appear a lighter tone than Neptune