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Blue Light Neptune Global Map from Hubble’s OPAL Program (Dark Spot Closeup)

Blue Light Neptune Global Map from Hubble's OPAL Program (Dark Spot Closeup)

About the Object

  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    The semi-major axis of Neptune's orbit about the sun is 30.06 astronomical units (roughly 2.8 billion miles or 4.5 billion kilometers).
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    Neptune has a diameter of roughly 30,800 miles (49,600 kilometers) at the equator.

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    Data were provided by the HST proposal 14492: M.H. Wong (PI), I. de Pater, J. Tollefson, and K. de Kleer (UC Berkeley), H. Hammel (Space Science Institute), S. Cook (AMNH), R. Hueso and A. Sanchez-Lavega (University of the Basque Country, Spain), A. Simon (NASA/GSFC), M. Delcroix (French Astronomical Society, SAF), L. Sromovsky and P. Fry (University of Wisconsin, Madison), G. Orton (JPL), and C. Baranec (University of Hawaii, Manoa).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>WFC3/UVIS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    May 16, 2016
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F467M
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Neptune
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Planet
  • Release Date
    June 23, 2016
  • Science Release
    Hubble Imagery Confirms New Dark Spot on Neptune
    Read the release
  • Credits
    NASA, ESA, and M.H. Wong and J. Tollefson (UC Berkeley)

Downloads

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Blue Light Neptune Global Map from Hubble's OPAL Program (Dark Spot Closeup)
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

This image is a single, monochrome filter that isolated blue light (F467M) was used to record overall brightness. These brightness values were translated into a range of bluish hues. Such color "maps" can be useful in helping to distinguish subtly varying brightness in an image. Blue: F467M

Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.

Related Images & Videos

Dark Spot on Neptune

Dark Spot on Neptune

This new Hubble Space Telescope image confirms the presence of a dark vortex in the atmosphere of Neptune. The full visible-light image at left shows that the dark feature resides near and below a patch of bright clouds in the planet's southern hemisphere. The dark spot measures...

Neptune (Full Color)

Neptune (Full Color)

Neptune with Dark Spot (Blue Light)

Neptune with Dark Spot (Blue Light)

Scale and Compass Image for Dark Spot on Neptune

Scale and Compass Image for Dark Spot on Neptune

This new Hubble Space Telescope image confirms the presence of a dark vortex in the atmosphere of Neptune. The full visible-light image at left shows that the dark feature resides near and below a patch of bright clouds in the planet's southern hemisphere. The dark spot measures...

Neptune (Full Color)

Neptune (Full Color)

Full Color Neptune Global Map from Hubble's OPAL Program (Dark Spot and Companion Clouds Closeup)

Full Color Neptune Global Map from Hubble's OPAL Program (Dark Spot and Companion Clouds Closeup)

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Details

Last Updated
Feb 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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