This picture of Uranus is a composite of four images returned Nov. 27, 1985, by the narrow-angle camera of Voyager 2. The spacecraft was about 74 million kilometers (46 million miles) from Uranus, inbound toward a Jan. 24, 1986, closest approach to the planet. At this range, Voyager 2 could detect clouds or other features in the atmosphere as small as 1,370 km (851 mi) across; no such features are yet visible. This view is toward the illuminated south pole of Uranus. The predominant blue color is the result of atmospheric methane, which absorbs the red wavelengths from incoming sunlight, thus rendering the planet bluish-green in hue. The spot at the upper left edge of the planet's disk resulted from the removal of a reseau mark used in making measurements on the photograph. Three of Uranus' five known satellites are visible: Miranda (at far right, closest to the planet), Ariel (next out, at top) and Umbriel (lower left). Titania and Oberon are now outside the narrow-angle camera's field of view when it is centered on the planet. This color composite was made from images shuttered through blue, green, orange and clear filters. The Voyager project is managed for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
