Neptune's clouds have surprisingly disappeared and the sun is likely to be blamed

Neptune is a distant planet in our solar system. It is about 2.8 billion miles (4.5 billion kilometres) from our Sun. It has a methane-rich atmosphere which gives it a blue look. So, Earth doesn't have sole claim on the colour blue in our Solar System. There is one more aspect in which Neptune resembles Earth. Scientists have observed clouds in the atmosphere of Neptune.

But now these clouds have vanished!

While looking at the vast expanse of space, we often hunt for clues that resemble conditions on Earth. Vanishing of such phenomena in space is thus a noteworthy development. And whenever such a thing happens, scientists get to work.

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"I was surprised by how quickly clouds disappeared on Neptune," Imke de Pater, an emeritus professor of astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley and senior author of a study on the findings, said in a statement. "We essentially saw cloud activity drop within a few months."

So why have Neptune's clouds vanished?

Sun is to blame!

Our Sun is a massive orb of charged particles. We may be forgiven for thinking that its a very hot 'land'. But there is no 'land' on the Sun. It is made of plasma. The charged particles and plasma 'flows' and this may result in changes in Sun's structure. This results in changes in Sun's magnetic field.

Every 11 years, Sun's magnetic poles 'flip', that is, North Pole becomes South Pole and vice-versa. When such a flip takes place, the UV radiation of the Sun becomes strongest.

It is this intensity of radiation that's affecting Neptune's clouds.

It has been seen that two years after the 'flip' Neptune's atmosphere shows the presence of clouds. Scientists think that strong UV radiation of the Sun causes these clouds to form. And as the radiation weaken with Sun's journey to another 'flip' the clouds disappear.

So there's no need to worry. Neptune is just responding to Sun's whims.

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