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 PIA02245 Neptune's blue-green atmosphere from Voyager2:
Neptune's blue-green atmosphere is shown in greater detail than ever before by
the Voyager 2 spacecraft as it rapidly approaches its encounter with the giant
planet. This color image, produced from a distance of about l6 million
kilometers, shows several complex and puzzling atmospheric features. The Great
Dark Spot (GDS) seen at the center is about l3,000 km by 6,600 km in size -- as
large along its longer dimension as the Earth. The bright, wispy "cirrus-type"
clouds seen hovering in the vicinity of the GDS are higher in altitude than the
dark material of unknown origin which defines its boundaries. A thin veil often
fills part of the GDS interior, as seen on the image. The bright cloud at the
southern (lower) edge of the GDS measures about l,000 km in its north-south
extent. The small, bright cloud below the GDS, dubbed the "scooter," rotates
faster than the GDS, gaining about 30 degrees eastward (toward the right) in
longitude every rotation. Bright streaks of cloud at the latitude of the GDS,
the small clouds overlying it, and a dimly visible dark protrusion at its
western end are examples of dynamic weather patterns on Neptune, which can
change significantly on timescales of one rotation (about l8 hours)
 PIA00052 Neptune
Great Dark Spot in High Resolution This photograph shows the last face on
view of the Great Dark Spot that Voyager will make with the narrow angle
camera. The image was shuttered 45 hours before closest approach at a distance
of 2.8 million kilometers (1.7 million miles). The smallest structures that can
be seen are of an order of 50 kilometers (31 miles). The image shows feathery
white clouds that overlie the boundary of the dark and light blue regions. The
pinwheel (spiral) structure of both the dark boundary and the white cirrus
suggest a storm system rotating counterclockwise. Periodic small scale patterns
in the white cloud, possibly waves, are short lived and do not persist from one
Neptunian rotation to the next.
 PIA02210 This
contrast enhanced color picture of Neptune was acquired by Voyager 2 at a range
of 14.8 million kilometers (9.2 million miles) on August 14, 1989. As Voyager 2
approached Neptune, rapidly increasing image resolution is revealed striking
new details in the planet's atmosphere, and this picture shows features as
small as a few hundred kilometers in extent. Bright, wispy "cirrus type" clouds
are seen overlying the Great Dark Spot (GDS) at its southern (lower) margin and
over its northwest (upper left) boundary.
 PIA01492 The
images of Neptune were taken at a range of 4.4 million miles from the planet, 4
days and 20 hours before closest approach. The picture shows the Great Dark
Spot and its companion bright smudge; on the west limb the fast moving bright
feature called Scooter and the little dark spot are visible.
 PIA01542 Neptune, "a planet whose blustery weather --
monster storms and equatorial winds of 900 miles per hour -- bewilders
scientists. The weather on Neptune, the eighth planet from the sun, is an
enigma to begin with. The mechanism that drives its near-supersonic winds and
giant storms has yet to be discerned. On Earth, weather is driven by energy
from the sun as it heats the atmosphere and oceans. On Neptune, the sun is 900
times dimmer and scientists have yet to understand how Neptune's
weather-generating machinery can be so efficient. 'It's an efficient weather
machine compared to Earth,' said Lawrence A. Sromovsky. 'It seems to run on
almost no energy.' " |