Pluto, Neptune and Triton

So, we have looked at the Sun and the idea that it could be burning brighter than ever, and therefore effecting global warming on Earth, but for this idea to be plausible, global warming must be present on other planets. Therefore, scientists have been observing Pluto and the 8 planets in the solar system, trying to discover any evidence of global warming.

I will begin my overview of the eight planets and Pluto by starting from the outer reaches of the solar system and working back inwards towards the Sun, skipping the planets with no signs of global warming.

Pluto

Source: http://depts.washington.edu/kexp/blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/pluto1.jpg

So we start with Pluto, the dwarf planet. Unfortunately for Pluto, as National Geographic reports, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted in 2006 that Pluto was no longer a planet. This is because of the IAU officially defined the word planet "as an object that orbits the sun and is large enough to have become round due to the force of its own gravity. In addition, a planet has to dominate the neighborhood around its orbit." Pluto does not "dominate" its neighborhood as its moon, Charon, is half Pluto's size. Other planets are much larger than their moons.

Source: http://asymptotia.com/wp-images/2007/05/poor_pluto_mathias_pedersen.jpg

Even though Pluto is no longer a planet, it still might be undergoing solar-induced global warming, according to some scientists. SPACE.com reports that researchers have found that Pluto's atmospheric pressure has tripled in the past 14 years, indicating a dramatic rise in temperature. Some astronomers attribute this to explosive activity on the surface, or seasonal change. SPACE. com continues, by describing what most astronomers attribute the temperature rise to: how close Pluto was to the Sun in 1989. David Tholen, a professor of astronomy at the University of Hawaii, says that even though Pluto is moving away from the Sun now, it would take the dwarf planet a while to warm up. This study was performed by a group of American scientists, including Tholen.

ABC News reports that another study reports a rise in temperature on Pluto, this one from the University of Tasmania. This study gave very similar results, but added that the atmosphere is denser.
MIT News reported on the same study Tholen was involved in, as it included MIT professors as well. The report included a note that Neptune's moon, Triton, is very similar to Pluto and studies are being done on Triton to investigate possible similarities.

Neptune and Triton

Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijRy1w5we58LNS2YxiPmjXch3VoB1Q7maYrEsaN2OZlIxDmffjrzbPg8JiYeJ6OHHuG9FI8EtCKVRKTDJDno-KnXYekgnDmrL4rJBM7y1X9kAATOmt9iXPI2EHBfp1oRxEowIwzvaeEIh1/s1600-h/103989main_neptune1.jpg

Neptune is the farthest planet from the Sun. It is 30 times farther from the Sun than Earth. It is 17 times more massive than Earth as well. "Scientists believe that Neptune is made up chiefly of hydrogen, helium, water, and silicate." Thick cloads cover the planet, and these coulds move at a rapid rate, moving at 700 mph. There are methane clouds at the top of the atmosphere and darker hydrogen sulfide clouds below it. (NASA)

I could not find any solid scientific evidence or studies concerning Neptune and possible global warming. I found a few conservative blogs that say Neptune is brighter than ever and therefore experiencing global warming. Most continued to attack global warming advocate Al Gore. Therefore I could not use these sources, as they seemed too biased.

In contrast, Neptune's moon, Triton, has been studied by scientists, because it is so similar to Pluto. Triton is Neptune's largest moon. MIT reseachers found that Triton's temperature has risen by 5% since the Voyager space probe visited it in 1989. This is very unsual for such a short amount of time. This trend is causing frozen methane on the surface to turn into gas, making the atmosphere more dense.