|
Voyager 2 narrow-angle camera
|
South up image
Original 3344kB tif
This image was returned by the Voyager 2 spacecraft on July 3, 1989, when it was 76 million kilometers
(47 million miles) from Neptune.
The planet and its largest satellite, Triton, are captured in the field of view of Voyager's narrow-angle camera
through violet, clear and orange filters. Triton appears in the lower right corner at about 5 o'clock relative to
Neptune. Recent measurements from Voyager images show Triton to be between 1,400 and 1,800 kilometers
(about 870 to 1,100 miles) in radius with a surface that is about as bright as freshly fallen snow.
Because Triton is barely resolved in current narrow-angle images, it is too early to see features on its surface.
Scientists believe Triton has at least a small atmosphere of methane and possibly other gases.
During its closest approach to Triton on August 25, 1989, Voyager should provide high-resolution views of the
moon's icy surface and reveal whether Triton's atmosphere has clouds.
JPL manages the Voyager Project for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications.
Japanese
1989/07/03 Voyager 2により海王星から7600万kmの距離で狭角カメラで撮影されました。
最大の衛星Tritonが、紫、オレンジのフィルターで明瞭に撮影されました。
上方にあるのがTritonです。
最近の測定では新雪が積もったような明るい半球側があり、1400km〜1800kmと考えられます。
この画像では小さすぎるので表面の特徴を見ることは早すぎるようです。
科学者はTritonはメタンなどの大気があるとみています。
1989/08/25の最接近により、この衛星表面の高解像度を得て大気や雲の有無について調査することになります。
[NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute]
return back to Old Other Planets 19XX
|