Myths about Neptune and its Moons

Neptune, which was discovered in 1846, was unknown in ancient times. Astronomers decided to continue the practice of naming planets after deities in Greek and Roman mythology, so named this new planet after the Roman god Neptune (Greek Poseidon). Neptune was the god of the waters and was a son of Chronos and a brother of Jupiter (Zeus) and of Pluto (Hades).
"Neptune Calming the Tempest" by Peter Paul Rubens (1635).<p><small><em>Image credit: (c)1996 President and Fellows of Harvard College, Harvard University Art Museums, Courtesy of the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University Art Museums Alpheus Hyatt Fund. To be reproduced only by permission of the Harvard University Art Museums, </em></small></p>According to <a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-277">NASA scientists</a>, the Voyager 1 spacecraft entered interstellar space in August 2012, becoming the first spacecraft to leave the <a href="/our_solar_system/solar_system.html&edu=elem&dev=1">solar system</a>. The space probe is about 19 billion km from the <a href="/sun/sun.html&edu=elem&dev=1">Sun</a>.  <a href="/space_missions/voyager.html&edu=elem&dev=1">Voyager 1 and 2</a> were launched in 1977 on a <a href="/space_missions/voyager.html&edu=elem&dev=1">mission</a> that flew them both by <a href="/jupiter/jupiter.html&edu=elem&dev=1">Jupiter</a> and <a href="/saturn/saturn.html&edu=elem&dev=1">Saturn</a>, with Voyager 2 continuing to <a href="/uranus/uranus.html&edu=elem&dev=1">Uranus</a> and <a href="/neptune/neptune.html&edu=elem&dev=1">Neptune</a>. Voyager 2 is the longest continuously operated spacecraft. It is about 15 billion km away from the <a href="/sun/sun.html&edu=elem&dev=1">Sun</a>.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of NASA</em></small></p>

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