Voyager 1986 photo: Uranus luminous cloud in false color
NASA. This false-color image of Uranus, taken by Voyager, shows a discrete cloud in the form of a luminous streak near the planet's edge. It is a highly processed composite of three images obtained on January 14, 1986, when the probe was 12.9 million kilometers from the planet. This cloud is the most prominent feature observed in a series of Voyager images designed to track atmospheric movements. The occasional doughnut-shaped features, including one at the bottom, are shadows cast by dust in the camera's optics; the processing required to bring out the planet's faint features also brings out these camera imperfections). Three separate images were taken through violet, blue and orange filters. Each of these color images shows the cloud to a different degree. As they were not exposed at exactly the same time, they were processed to provide a correction for good spatial correspondence. On a true color image, the cloud would be barely discernible; false color brings out additional detail. The different colors imply variations in vertical structure, but it is not yet possible to determine these differences precisely. It is possible that the Uranian atmosphere contains smog-like components, in which case certain color differences could indicate differences in the distribution of these molecules.
Vintage chromogenic print. Numbering in the margin on the front. Legend on label on back. 25.4 x 20.4 cm with margins.
Automatically translated by DeepL. The original version is the only legally valid version. To see the original version, switch to the French language.