27 Years Ago: Voyager 2′s Visit to Uranus

(Before It's News)

Image of Uranus’ crescent taken by a departing Voyager 2 on January 25, 1986 (NASA/JPL)

27 years ago today, January 24, 1986, NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft sped past Uranus, becoming simultaneously the first and last spacecraft to visit the blue-tinged gas giant, third largest planet in the Solar System.

The image above shows the crescent-lit Uranus as seen by Voyager 2 from a distance of about 965,000 km (600,000 miles.) At the time the spacecraft had already passed Uranus and was looking back at the planet on its way outwards toward Neptune.

Although composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, trace amounts of methane in Uranus’ uppermost atmosphere absorbs most of the red wavelengths of light, making the planet appear a pale blue color.

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© Jason Major for Universe Today, 2013. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: NASA, Oberon, planet, Solar System, Uranus, Voyager, Voyager 2

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