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![Range : 16 million km (9.9 million miles) P-34616 This series of six Voyager 2 images of Neptune through different filters reveals altitude in Neptune's clouds. The top three images, taken though orange, violet, and ultraviolet filters by the narrow-angle camera, show several bright cloud features, clearly visible in each image. The 'scooter' cloud, at 42 degrees south latitude, although prominent in the orange image, is invisible in ultraviolet, where scattering by atmospheric molecules is strongest. The disappearance can be understood if the 'scooter cloud has more obscurring atmosphere above it ( i.e. the scooter cloud is lower ) than other bright clouds. The observation also suggest that the centrally located Great Dark Spot is also a low lying feature because it also loses visiblity in the ultraviolet image. The lower three wide angle images ( from left to right: orange, weak methane [541nm], and strong methane [619nm] are arranged in increasing absorption by methane in Neptune's atmosphere. In the lower images the 'scooter cloud' becomes less obvious from left to right, implying there is relatively more absorbing methane above the 'scooter cloud'. Thus the set of images also implies that the 'scooter cloud' is deeper in the atmosphere ( and therefore at higher atmospheric pressure ) than the other bright clouds. ARC-1989-AC89-7003](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn2/L3Bob3RvLzE5ODkvMDgvMjEvYXJjLTE5ODktYWM4OS03MDAzLTdiNGI2YS02NDAuanBn/40/26/webp "Range : 16 million km (9.9 million miles) P-34616 This series of six Voyager 2 images of Neptune through different filters reveals altitude in Neptune's clouds. The top three images, taken though orange, violet, and ultraviolet filters by the narrow-angle camera, show several bright cloud features, clearly visible in each image. The 'scooter' cloud, at 42 degrees south latitude, although prominent in the orange image, is invisible in ultraviolet, where scattering by atmospheric molecules is strongest. The disappearance can be understood if the 'scooter cloud has more obscurring atmosphere above it ( i.e. the scooter cloud is lower ) than other bright clouds. The observation also suggest that the centrally located Great Dark Spot is also a low lying feature because it also loses visiblity in the ultraviolet image. The lower three wide angle images ( from left to right: orange, weak methane [541nm], and strong methane [619nm] are arranged in increasing absorption by methane in Neptune's atmosphere. In the lower images the 'scooter cloud' becomes less obvious from left to right, implying there is relatively more absorbing methane above the 'scooter cloud'. Thus the set of images also implies that the 'scooter cloud' is deeper in the atmosphere ( and therefore at higher atmospheric pressure ) than the other bright clouds. ARC-1989-AC89-7003")
Voyager II Imagery - Neptune: This image of clouds in Neptune's atmosphere is the first that tests the accuracy of the weather forecast that was made eight days earlier to select targets for the Voyager narrow-angle camera. Three of the four targeted features are visible in this photograph; all three are close to their predicted locations. The Great Dark Spot with its bright white companion is slightly to the left of center. The small bright Scooter is below and to the left, and the second dark spot with its bright core is below the Scooter. Strong eastward winds -- up to 400 mph -- cause the second dark spot to overtake and pass the larger one every five days. The spacecraft was 6.1 million kilometers (3.8 million miles) from the planet at the time of camera shuttering, and the images use the orange, green and clear filters of the camera. The Voyager Mission is conducted by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications. (JPL ref P-34632 Voyager 2 N-32C) ARC-1989-AC89-7010
Summary
Voyager II Imagery - Neptune: This image of clouds in Neptune's atmosphere is the first that tests the accuracy of the weather forecast that was made eight days earlier to select targets for the Voyager narrow-angle camera. Three of the four targeted features are visible in this photograph; all three are close to their predicted locations. The Great Dark Spot with its bright white companion is slightly to the left of center. The small bright Scooter is below and to the left, and the second dark spot with its bright core is below the Scooter. Strong eastward winds -- up to 400 mph -- cause the second dark spot to overtake and pass the larger one every five days. The spacecraft was 6.1 million kilometers (3.8 million miles) from the planet at the time of camera shuttering, and the images use the orange, green and clear filters of the camera. The Voyager Mission is conducted by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications. (JPL ref P-34632 Voyager 2 N-32C)
In 1977, Voyager 1 and 2 started their one-way journey to the end of the solar system and beyond, now traveling a million miles a day. Jimmy Carter was president when NASA launched two probes from Cape Canaveral. Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, were initially meant to explore Jupiter, Saturn, and their moons. They did that. But then they kept going at a rate of 35,000 miles per hour. Each craft bears an object that is a record, both dubbed the Golden Records. They were the product of Carl Sagan and his team who produced a record that would, if discovered by aliens, represent humanity and "communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials."
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