Rings of Uranus

Large size JPG image (239101 bytes)

Full size TIFF image (311754 bytes)

This Voyager 2 image of the Uranian rings delta, gamma, eta, beta and alpha (from top) was taken Jan. 23, 1986. The spacecraft was 1.12 million kilometers (69O,OOO miles) away when its narrow- angle camera obtained this clear-filter view. This image illustrates the broad outer component and narrow inner component of the eta ring, which orbits Uranus at a radius of some 47,OOO km (29,OOO mi). The broad component is considerably more transparent than the dense, narrow inner eta component, as well as the other narrow rings shown. Resolution here is about 1O km (6 mi). The Voyager project is managed for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.