Ice Giant: Neptune
In Ice Giant: Neptune, Professor Brian Cox explains how Neptune is unique because of its atmosphere, cold temperatures, weather, and wind speed. Learn how the pressure and lack of features on Neptune create the highest wind speeds in the Solar System. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.
Lesson Express
Q: What did the Voyager expedition reveal about Neptune?
A: Neptune is warmer than Uranus even though it is farther from the Sun. There are high winds and storms on Neptune.
Q: How do scientists think that Neptune got its extra heat?
A: From the buildup of pressure that produces heat within the planet.
Q: How does Neptune’s mass compare with Earth's mass?
A: Neptune has 17 times the mass of Earth.
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In Getting Started: Life on Earth and Mars, Professor Brian Cox explains the conditions that are required for life to begin. Learn how Earth and Mars had these conditions at the same time. Could life have started in two places at once? Or might the life on Earth have come from outer space? This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.
In Volcanic Planet: Exploring Venus, Professor Brian Cox explains how Venus went from being a planet with the conditions to sustain life to a hot, cloudy, hellish landscape. Learn how greenhouse gases and volcanoes played a role in making Venus what it is today. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.
In Tied to a Star: The Fate of Mars, Professor Brian Cox explains how Mars went from being full of water to a barren desert. Learn why the Sun is so important for the planets that orbit it, including Mars and Earth. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.
In Mapping Mission: Reaching the Surface of Mercury, Professor Brian Cox explains how scientists were able to send the space probe Messenger to Mercury, a particularly difficult planet for us to explore. This video is excerpted from BBC’s The Planets, a series that explores the dramatic lives of the eight planets in our Solar System.