Media Information

 
 
 
Collection:
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day Collection
Title:
Uranus' Ring System
Explanation:
The rings of Uranus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] are thin, narrow, and dark compared to other planetary ring systems. Brightened artificially by computer, the ring particles reflect as little light as charcoal, although they are really made of ice chucks darkened by rock. This false-color, infrared picture [ http://www.stsci.ed…] from the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] taken in July 1995 shows the rings in conjunction to the planet. The infrared [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] light allows one to see detail in different layers of Uranus' [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] atmosphere, which has been digitally enhanced with false color. Three other planets in our Solar System [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] are known to have rings: Jupiter [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], Saturn [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], and Neptune [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Four of Uranus [ http://seds.lpl.ari…]' moons are visible outside the ring plane. The rings of Uranus [ http://ringside.arc…] were discovered from ground-based observations in 1977.
Credit and Copyright:
Erich Karkoschka (University of Arizona Lunar & Planetary Lab [ http://www.lpl.ariz…]) and NASA [ http://www.nasa.gov/]
facet_when:
1977
facet_when:
July 1995
facet_where:
Arizona
facet_where:
Saturn
facet_where:
Jupiter
facet_where:
Uranus
facet_where:
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
facet_what:
Saturn
facet_what:
Jupiter
facet_what:
Neptune
facet_what:
Uranus
facet_what:
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
facet_when_year:
1977
facet_when_year:
1995
original url:
UID:
SPD-APOD-ap960430

Uranus' Ring System