Neptune | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/neptune/RSS feed for NeptuneenWed, 05 Aug 2026 20:51:47 +0000Neptune May Have Once Witnessed a Lunar Massacre That Turned Its Original Moons 'Inside Out'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptune-may-have-once-witnessed-a-lunar-massacre-that-turned-its-original-moons-inside-out-180989266/A new study identifies an unexpected mineral in two of the planet’s inner moons, pointing to a destructive past in which a large object got pulled into the system and obliterated the former, larger satellitesWed, 05 Aug 2026 20:51:47 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptune-may-have-once-witnessed-a-lunar-massacre-that-turned-its-original-moons-inside-out-180989266/Neptune's Moon Nereid Might Be the Sole Intact Survivor of an Ancient Lunar Collisionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptunes-moon-nereid-might-be-the-sole-intact-survivor-of-an-ancient-lunar-collision-180988785/A study suggests that the ice giant's largest moon, Triton, made a dramatic entrance to the Neptunian system long ago, kicking Nereid outward and destroying the planet's other original lunar companionsThu, 21 May 2026 20:16:29 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptunes-moon-nereid-might-be-the-sole-intact-survivor-of-an-ancient-lunar-collision-180988785/To Keep the Voyager 1 Spacecraft on Its Interstellar Journey, NASA Turned Off One of Its Few Remaining Instrumentshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-keep-the-voyager-1-spacecraft-on-its-interstellar-journey-nasa-turned-off-one-of-its-few-remaining-instruments-180988608/The probe launched almost 50 years ago and is the farthest human-made object from Earth. Shutting down one of its scientific devices will help it conserve energy and continue traveling toward the edge of the solar systemFri, 24 Apr 2026 18:59:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/to-keep-the-voyager-1-spacecraft-on-its-interstellar-journey-nasa-turned-off-one-of-its-few-remaining-instruments-180988608/Don’t Miss These Ten Celestial Events in 2026, From Aligned Planets to a Total Solar Eclipsehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dont-miss-these-ten-celestial-events-in-2026-from-aligned-planets-to-a-total-solar-eclipse-180987931/The upcoming year will offer a blood-red moon, spectacular meteor showers and the first glimpse of the sun’s corona since April 2024Tue, 30 Dec 2025 13:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dont-miss-these-ten-celestial-events-in-2026-from-aligned-planets-to-a-total-solar-eclipse-180987931/Astronomers Discover 'Ammonite,' a Mysterious Distant Object That Could Shed Light on Our Solar System's Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discover-ammonite-a-mysterious-distant-object-that-could-shed-light-on-our-solar-systems-history-180987019/The celestial body's unusual orbit “implies that something extraordinary occurred" in the early days of the solar system—and throws a wrench in the Planet Nine ideaTue, 22 Jul 2025 17:25:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/astronomers-discover-ammonite-a-mysterious-distant-object-that-could-shed-light-on-our-solar-systems-history-180987019/Check Out Neptune's Beautiful Auroras, Captured for the First Time by the James Webb Space Telescopehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/check-out-neptunes-beautiful-auroras-captured-for-the-first-time-by-the-james-webb-space-telescope-180986321/Scientists suspected the ice giant hosted auroras—and had already observed them on Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. But an observation of Neptune's lights remained elusive for decadesThu, 27 Mar 2025 18:07:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/check-out-neptunes-beautiful-auroras-captured-for-the-first-time-by-the-james-webb-space-telescope-180986321/Seven Planets Will Gather in the Night Sky This Weekend. Here's What to Expect During the Rare Alignmenthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/seven-planets-will-gather-in-the-night-sky-this-weekend-heres-what-to-expect-during-the-rare-alignment-180986134/While such a lineup is uncommon, the event might not look exactly how you’re imagining itThu, 27 Feb 2025 20:54:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/seven-planets-will-gather-in-the-night-sky-this-weekend-heres-what-to-expect-during-the-rare-alignment-180986134/The Six Most Amazing Discoveries We’ve Made About Neptunehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-six-most-amazing-discoveries-weve-made-about-neptune-180985333/Despite the lack of a dedicated mission to the planet, scientists have learned plenty through ground observations and space telescopesTue, 05 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-six-most-amazing-discoveries-weve-made-about-neptune-180985333/Neptune's Clouds Have Disappeared, and the Sun Might Be Responsiblehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptunes-clouds-have-disappeared-and-the-sun-might-be-responsible-180982766/Scientists have linked shifts in the distant planet's cloud coverage to the ever-oscillating solar cycle, which is due to peak soonTue, 22 Aug 2023 15:21:45 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/neptunes-clouds-have-disappeared-and-the-sun-might-be-responsible-180982766/NASA Hears 'Heartbeat' From Voyager 2 After Losing Touch With the Distant Probehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-hears-heartbeat-from-voyager-2-after-losing-touch-with-the-distant-probe-180982638/The space agency has been trying to contact the 46-year-old craft after accidentally causing its antenna to point two degrees away from EarthTue, 01 Aug 2023 20:24:55 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nasa-hears-heartbeat-from-voyager-2-after-losing-touch-with-the-distant-probe-180982638/