Browse stunning images of Neptune captured by Voyager 2, Hubble, and JWST. Click any image to view details, or schedule an observation session.
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This iconic image of Neptune was captured by Voyager 2 on August 20, 1989, from a distance of approximately 7.1 million kilometers. The image reveals Neptune's vibrant blue color, caused by methane absorption of red wavelengths in the atmosphere.
Camera: Narrow-angle camera
Date: August 20, 1989
Distance: 7.1 million km
Triton, Neptune's largest moon, displays a remarkably varied surface including the "cantaloupe terrain" — a unique pattern of dimples found nowhere else in the solar system. Active nitrogen geysers shoot material 8 km into the thin atmosphere.
Surface temperature: -235°C (38 K)
Diameter: 2,707 km
Orbital direction: Retrograde
The Great Dark Spot was an Earth-sized storm system observed by Voyager 2. Accompanied by bright cirrus-like clouds of methane ice crystals, it rotated counterclockwise with wind speeds of up to 2,400 km/h — the fastest ever recorded in the solar system.
Size: ~13,000 × 6,600 km
Wind speed: Up to 2,400 km/h
Status: Disappeared by 1994
Neptune has five known rings, named after astronomers who contributed to the planet's study: Galle, Le Verrier, Lassell, Arago, and Adams. The Adams ring is notable for containing bright ring arcs — concentrated clumps of material.
Number of rings: 5 main rings
Composition: Ice particles and silicates
Notable feature: Ring arcs in Adams ring
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Neptune Observatory