Voyager s Neptune
Explanation:
Cruising through the outer solar system, the Voyager 2
spacecraft made its closest
approach
to Neptune on August 25, 1989,
the only spacecraft to visit the most distant gas giant.
Based on the images recorded during its close encounter
and in the following days,
this inspired composited scene covers the
dim outer planet, largest
moon Triton, and faint system of rings.
From just beyond Neptune's orbit, the interplanetary perspective
looks back toward the Sun, capturing
the planet and Triton as thin
sunlit crescents.
Cirrus clouds and a dark band
circle Neptune's south polar region,
with a cloudy vortex above the pole
itself.
Parts of the
very
faint ring system along with
the three bright ring arcs were first imaged by Voyager during the
fly-by, though the faintest segments are modeled in this
composited picture.
Spanning 7.5 degrees, the background starfield is composed
from sky survey data centered on the constellation Camelopardalis,
corresponding to the outbound Voyager's view of the
magnificent Neptunian system.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
