This 591-second exposure of the rings of Neptune were taken with the clear filter by the Voyager 2 wide-angle camera. The two main rings are clearly visible and appear complete over the region imaged. Also visible in this image is the inner faint ring and the faint band which extends smoothly from the ring roughly halfway between the two bright rings. Both of these newly discovered rings are broad and much fainter than the two narrow rings. The bright glare is due to over-exposure of the crescent on Neptune. Numerous bright stars are evident in the background. Both bright rings have material throughout their entire orbit, and are therefore continuous.
The Voyager Mission is conducted by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications.
Name | Value | Additional Values |
---|---|---|
Target | Neptune Rings | Neptune |
System | Neptune | |
Target Type | Ring | Planet |
Mission | Voyager | |
Instrument Host | Cassini Orbiter | Voyager 2 |
Host Type | Orbiter | Flyby Spacecraft |
Instrument | Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) | |
Detector | Wide Angle Camera | |
Extra Keywords | Disk, Grayscale, Visual | |
Acquisition Date | ||
Release Date | 1999-10-29 | |
Date in Caption | ||
Image Credit | NASA/JPL | |
Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02224 | |
Identifier | PIA02224 |