At first glance it appears that Neptune is experiencing Global Warming =

in a manner which is reasonably well correlated to the earth's.

        http://www.worldclimatereport.com/index.php/2007/05/08/neptune-news/

The following is a synopsis of part of the above referenced article =

with most of the (unhelpful) sarcasm removed.



        Russell




An article in a recent issue of Geophysical Research Letters shows an =

apparent time offset correlation between the solar output, Neptune=92s =

brightness, and the temperature of the Earth.

Neptune=92s cloud tops are extremely cold (-346=B0F) being so far from the =

Sun while the center of the planet has a temperature of 13,000=B0F due =

to high pressure generating extremely hot gases. Measurements of =

visible light from Neptune have been taken at the Lowell Observatory =

in Flagstaff, Arizona since 1950.

Light from Neptune can be related to seasons on the planet, small =

variations in Neptune=92s orbit, the apparent tilt of the axis as viewed =

from the Earth, the varying distance from Neptune to Earth, and =

changes in the atmosphere near the Lowell Observatory. Astronomers =

adjust the measurements accordingly.

Neptune has been getting brighter since around 1980; furthermore, =

infrared measurements of the planet since 1980 show that the planet =

has been warming steadily from 1980 to 2004. Hammel and Lockwood =

explored how variations in the output of the Sun might control =

variations in the brightness of Neptune.

What would seem so simple statistically is complicated by the degrees =

the correlation coefficient between solar irradiance and Neptune=92s =

brightness is near 0.90 (1.00 is perfect). The same relationship is =

found between the Earth=92s temperature anomalies and the solar output. =

Hammel and Lockwood note =93In other words, the Earth temperature values =

are as well correlated with solar irradiance (r =3D 0.89) as they are =

with Neptune=92s blue brightness (|r| > 0.90), assuming a 10-year lag of =

the Neptune values.=94 The temporal lag is needed to account for the =

large mass of Neptune that would require years to adjust to any =

changes in solar output.

Hammel and Lockwood conclude that =93In summary, if Neptune=92s atmosphere =

is indeed responding to some variation in solar activity in a manner =

similar to that of the Earth albeit with a temporal lag=94 then =93Neptune =

may provide an independent (and extraterrestrial) locale for studies =

of solar effects on planetary atmospheres.=94


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