Uranus - true and false colors - Voyager 2 - Uranus in true and false...

Uranus - true and false colors - Voyager 2 - Uranus in true and false colors - Images obtained by the Voyager 2 probe on January 17, 1986 at 9.1 million km from Uranus. On the left image in real colors, the blue color is due to the presence of methane in the atmosphere of the planet; on the right, the false colours show a thick layer of fog around the south pole. The axis of rotation of the planet is different from that of all other planets in the solar system. While for most planets this axis is almost vertical, for Uranus it is almost lying on the plane of its orbit. These two pictures of Uranus - - one in true color (left) and the other in false color - - were compiled from images returned Jan. 17, 1986, by the narrow - angle camera of Voyager 2. The spacecraft was 9.1 million kilometers (5.7 million miles) from the planet, several days from closest approach. The picture at left has been processed to show Uranus as human eyes would see it from the vantage point of the spacecraft. The picture is a composite of images taken through blue, green and orange filters. The darker shadings at the upper right of the disk correspond to the day - night boundary on the planet. Beyond this boundary lies the hidden northern hemisphere of Uranus, which currently remains in total darkness as the planet rotates. The blue - green color results from the absorption of red light by methane gas in Uranus' deep, cold and remarkably clear atmosphere. The picture at right uses false color and extreme contrast enhancement to bring out subtle details in the polar region of Uranus. Images obtained through ultraviolet, violet and orange filters were respectively converted to the same blue, green and red colors used to produce the picture at left