Ariel at Voyager Closest Approach PIA00037
This picture is part of the highest-resolution Voyager 2 imaging sequence of Ariel, a moon of Uranus about 1,300 km in diameter. The clear-filter, narrow-angle image was taken 24 January 1986, from a distance of 130,000 km.
Go to Full Text
Return to Planets Menu
Image Credit: NASA  

This picture is part of the highest-resolution Voyager 2 imaging sequence of Ariel, a moon of Uranus about 1,300 kilometers in diameter. The clear-filter, narrow-angle image was taken 24 January 1986, from a distance of 130,000 km. The complexity of Ariel's surface indicates that a variety of geologic processes have occurred. The numerous craters, for example, are indications of an old surface bombarded by meteroids over a long period. Also conspicuous at this resolution, about 2.5 km, are linear grooves (evidence of tectonic activity that has broken up the surface) and smooth patches (indicative of deposition of material).  
Return to top of page