The Planets: “Neptune, the Mystic,” Part 8 (of 10)

Another Thanksgiving is upon us. Many American families, gathered around a golden brown turkey, will participate in the tradition of asking each member of their group to name something for which they are grateful. And I’ll bet things like family, friends, and God rank as some of the top answers. How about Neptune? The eighth planet from the Sun probably won’t come to mind; nonetheless, it is definitely something to be thankful for.

Discovered on September 23, 1846, by Urbain Le Verrier, John Couch Adams, and Johann Galle, Neptune was eventually named for the Roman god of the sea. The gas giant planet’s trademark blue coloring results from the high concentration of methane in its atmosphere. Winds of up to 2,100 km/h traverse its surface, making Earth’s hurricanes look like leaf blowers in comparison. Though Neptune resides in a distant part of the solar system, like everything else in this universe, it’s fine-tuned to provide the greatest benefit to Earth’s inhabitants.

The Kuiper belt is a region beyond Neptune composed of small bodies, including dwarf planets (such as Pluto), “comets, asteroids, and other space debris,” collectively known as Kuiper belt objects (KBOs).¹ According to Wikipedia, “much in the same way that Jupiter’s gravity dominates the asteroid belt, shaping its structure, so Neptune’s gravity completely dominates the Kuiper belt.”

In fact, Neptune’s gravitational pull often disturbs KBOs from their own orbit, sending them into the inner solar system. How does this benefit Earth? These objects, mostly made of various ices, replenish “our water supply and [deliver] other vital nutrients.”² At the same time, as a member of the solar system’s gas giant quartet, this distant neighbor helps guard Earth against too much bombardment (see here).

Just as the Pilgrims of Plymouth Plantation celebrated God’s provision with their Native American allies over 300 years ago, this Thanksgiving I’ll celebrate the Creator’s provision of planets that play vital roles in making ours habitable.

References:

1. As stated in RTB’s Traveler’s Guide to the Solar System, featured in our Christmas highlight.

2. Traveler’s Guide to the Solar System.

Listen to Holst’s “Neptune, the Mystic” here.