Book 8, Question 63
Why Does Neptune Have the Fastest Winds in the Solar System?
Neptune has the fastest winds because its own inner heat stirs its thick atmosphere! Neptune gets very little sunlight, yet its winds blow up to about 2,000 kilometers per hour. Scientists think heat from deep inside the planet helps power the storm.
More fun facts
- Winds on Neptune have been measured at more than 1,100 miles per hour.
- Earth's strongest winds reach only about 250 miles per hour.
- Clouds high on Jupiter are blown around by winds of about 250 miles per hour.
- Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun.
- Neptune probably formed closer to the Sun and moved to the outer solar system about 4 billion years ago.
- Astronomers found a planet around another star with winds of up to 20,505 miles per hour, the fastest jet stream ever measured on a planet.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, NASA Science, NOAA, NASA
Questions kids ask
Are Neptune's winds stronger than a hurricane?
Yes, by far. Earth's strongest winds reach only about 250 miles per hour.