• A. Jupiter
  • B. Mars
  • C. Neptune
  • D. Saturn

Astronomy always goes down well at a pub quiz. Almost everyone has looked up at the stars at some point and thinks they know a thing or two about them, yet the answers tend to turn out quite differently than expected. This is one of those questions. Most people immediately guess the largest planet, and that’s exactly where they go wrong.

💡 Need a hint?

Don’t think about the largest planet, but about one of the most distant ones. An ice giant, so far away that you can’t see it with the naked eye. A striking deep blue color.

✅ View the answer

The correct answer is C. Neptune.

Neptune is home to the most powerful winds in our solar system. The storms on this distant ice giant reach speeds that far exceed anything we experience on Earth. The most severe hurricanes on Earth only reach a fraction of this. What makes it so remarkable is that a planet this far from the Sun, receiving so little solar energy, can produce such extreme weather systems.

📚 More background information

Neptune is the eighth and most distant planet from the Sun, discovered in 1846. Its deep blue color comes from methane in the atmosphere, which absorbs red light and reflects blue light back.

Voyager 2 passed Neptune in 1989 and delivered the first detailed images. Scientists discovered an enormous dark storm in the process, dubbed the “Great Dark Spot.” It simply disappeared again later. That really says it all about how erratic and unpredictable the weather on Neptune is.

Why Neptune in particular has such high wind speeds is a question that continues to occupy scientists. On Earth, the Sun drives the weather, but Neptune receives far less solar radiation due to its enormous distance. The most widely accepted explanation is that internal heat from the planet itself plays a major role. On top of that, there is no solid surface to slow the wind down, which drives things up considerably.

For comparison: Jupiter has the famous Great Red Spot, a storm that has been raging for centuries, but the sheer wind speed there is lower. And beyond our solar system, far more extreme winds have been measured on certain exoplanets. Wind speeds have been recorded on WASP-127b that far surpass those of Neptune. But within our own solar system, Neptune is the undisputed leader.

One detail that many people don’t know: Uranus and Neptune are collectively referred to as ice giants, distinguishing them from the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. That distinction comes up regularly in quiz questions about the solar system, so it’s well worth remembering.