In Roman mythology, Neptune was the god of the sea, so the name was chosen for this large blue planet. It's odd orbit crosses the path of Pluto and therefore Neptune is occasionally the furthest planet from the sun for a few years. There are several moons orbiting Neptune, eight of which have been named and five more that have been discovered within the last decade and are as yet nameless.
In Holst's Planets suite, "Neptune" is presented as "the Mystic," in a swirl of strings, building to a haunting choir of voices that seem to transport the listener beyond the stars.
Gratitude in abundance to Oscar and Ceara of deviantART for the model's image. Other images used come from NASA. |
