ARC-1989-AC89-7062

Range : 4.86 million km (3 million mi.) This dramatic view of the crescents of Neptune and Triton was acquired by Voyager 2 approx. 3 days, 6 1/2 hours after its closest approach to Neptune. The space craft was pluging southward at an angle of 48 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic. This direction, combined with the current season of southern summer in the Neptune system, gives this picture its unique geometry. The smallest detail discernible is approx. 90 km (56 mi.). Color was produced using images taken through the narrow-angle camera's clear, orange and green filters. Neptune does not appear as blue from this viewpoint because the forward scattering nature of its atmosphere is more important than its absorption of red light at this high phase angle (134 degrees).