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Neptune: 20:04 UT (June 25, 2011)
About the Object
- DistanceDistanceThe 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).
- DimensionsDimensionsThe 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 DescriptionData 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.This image was created from HST data from proposal 12675: K. Noll, Z. Levay, M. Livio, C. Christian, H. Bond, L. Frattare, M. Mutchler, T. Borders, and W. Januszewski (Hubble Heritage Team/STScI). - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.HST>WFC3/UVIS
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.June 25, 2011
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F467N (46nm), F631N (63nm), and F845M (84nm)
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Neptune
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Planet
- Release DateJuly 12, 2011
- Science ReleaseNeptune Completes Its First Circuit Around The Sun Since Its Discovery
- Credit
This image is a composite of many separate exposures made by the WFC3/UVIS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope using three different filters. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are: Blue: F467N (46nm) Green: F631N (63nm) Red/orange: F845M (84nm)
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
