APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Crescent Neptune and Triton
Explanation: Gliding through the outer Solar System , in 1989 the Voyager 2 spacecraft looked toward the Sun to find this view of most distant planet Neptune and its moon Triton together in a crescent phase. The elegant image of ice-giant planet and largest moon was taken from behind just after Voyager's closest approach . It could not have been taken from Earth because the most distant planet never shows a crescent phase to sunward eyes . Heading for the heliopause and beyond , the spacecraft's parting vantage point also robs Neptune of its familiar blue hue .
| Date | May 27, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Image Credit: NASA , Voyager 2 |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |



