Spark and Perl go looking
The Sun is just a bright star from here.
And it is windy.
The windiest place we know of.
Why?
Nobody is entirely sure.
That is allowed.
How did anyone even find it?
You cannot see it!
Somebody noticed Uranus was being tugged, and worked out where that something had to be.
Then they looked, and there it was.
Then I shall stand still and let the wind go past me.
Stand on what, Spark?
…There is no ground here either?
The wind is the whole planet.
Cloud, and then more cloud.
Only as a tiny blue-grey dot, and only if you know exactly where to look.
The finding is the fun part.
You can see it from anywhere in the world — but not every night. Sometimes it is hiding in the light of the Sun.
Where to find Neptune, and when
Where the Earth is clear, it climbs high in the sky. The darker it gets, the lower it stays. Where it is black, it never comes up. No shading at all: it does not matter where you live.
What do I need to see Neptune?
Binoculars with 10× magnification show it, if you rest them on a fence or a wall.
A 150 mm telescope is what shows it properly. This picture is about 200× — which is what that telescope gives on a good night.
At that magnification it drifts out of view while you watch.
Put the planets in size orderPut the planets in orderJump the solar systemCould you stand on a planet or moon?Eyes, binoculars, or telescope?Which one does not belong?
Space
Put the planets in size order
Read on
Go and look