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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")
P-34709 Range: 157,000 kilometers (98,000 miles) This Voyager 2 high resolution color image, taken 2 hours before closest approach, provides obvious evidence of vertical relief in Neptune's bright cloud streaks. These clouds were observed at a latitude of 29° N near Neptune's east terminator. The linear cloud forms are stretched approximately along lines of constant latitude and the sun is toward the lower left. The bright sides of the clouds that face the sun are brighter than the surrounding cloud deck because they are more directly exposed to the sun. Shadows can be seen on the side directly opposite the sun. These shadows are less distinct at short wavelengths (violet filter) and more distinct at long wavelengths (orange filter). This can be understood if the underlying cloud deck on which the shadow is cast is at a relatively great depth, in which case scattering by molecules in the overlying atmopsphere will diffuse light into the shadow. Because molecules scatter blue light much more efficiently than red light, the shadows will be darkest at the longest (reddest) wavelengths, and will appear blue under white illumination. The resolution of this image is 11 kilometers (6.8 miles per pixel). The width of the cloud streaks range from 50 to 200 kilometers (31 to 124 miles), and their shadow widths range from 30 to 50 kilometers (18 to 31 miles). Cloud heights appear to be of the order of 50 kilometers (31 miles). This corresponds to 2 scale heights. ARC-1989-AC89-7038
Summary
P-34709 Range: 157,000 kilometers (98,000 miles) This Voyager 2 high resolution color image, taken 2 hours before closest approach, provides obvious evidence of vertical relief in Neptune's bright cloud streaks. These clouds were observed at a latitude of 29° N near Neptune's east terminator. The linear cloud forms are stretched approximately along lines of constant latitude and the sun is toward the lower left. The bright sides of the clouds that face the sun are brighter than the surrounding cloud deck because they are more directly exposed to the sun. Shadows can be seen on the side directly opposite the sun. These shadows are less distinct at short wavelengths (violet filter) and more distinct at long wavelengths (orange filter). This can be understood if the underlying cloud deck on which the shadow is cast is at a relatively great depth, in which case scattering by molecules in the overlying atmopsphere will diffuse light into the shadow. Because molecules scatter blue light much more efficiently than red light, the shadows will be darkest at the longest (reddest) wavelengths, and will appear blue under white illumination. The resolution of this image is 11 kilometers (6.8 miles per pixel). The width of the cloud streaks range from 50 to 200 kilometers (31 to 124 miles), and their shadow widths range from 30 to 50 kilometers (18 to 31 miles). Cloud heights appear to be of the order of 50 kilometers (31 miles). This corresponds to 2 scale heights.
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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