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Space Topics: Neptune
Neptune's Rings
Like Uranus’ rings, Neptune’s were first detected in stellar
occultation observations from Earth. But Neptune’s rings appeared
in some observations and not in others, so it was thought that the rings were
incomplete arcs. When Voyager 2 passed by, it found Neptune’s
rings to be complete, but clumpy, with weird, twisted structures.
| Ring Feature |
Location (kilometers from Neptune's center) |
Notes |
| Middle |
Width |
| Galle |
42,000 |
2,000 |
A faint and poorly understood ring. |
| Le Verrier |
53,200 |
< 100 |
A narrow, axisymmetric ring. |
| Lassell |
55,200 |
4,000 |
A uniform, faint ring extending outward from Le Verrier. |
| Arago |
57,200 |
|
A brightness enhancement at the outer edge of Lassell. |
| (unnamed) |
61,953 |
|
A ring of dust in the orbit of Galatea. |
| Adams |
62,933 |
15 |
A narrow ring containing the arcs. It shows a radial
wiggles due to perturbations from nearby Galatea |
From Murray, C. D., and S. F. Dermott, 1999. Solar
System Dynamics, Cambridge University Press. |
As Voyager 2 receded from Neptune on August 25, 1989, it observed the thin
rings in glancing sunlight (at a phase angle of 135°). The two rings visible
are Le Verrier (inside) and Adams (outside). Credit: NASA/JPL |
Voyager 2 snapped two long-exposure images of Neptune's rings as
it receded from the planet. From inner to outer, the Gall, Le Verrier,
Lassell, and Adams rings are visible. Credit: NASA/JPL |
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