2024-01-11 17:31:30
Voyager 2’s original photo of Neptune (left) and a photo of Neptune obtained through new research (right). / Provided by Oxford University
In our memories, Neptune is known as a dark blue planet. That’s why it is also called the ‘blue pearl’. British scientists, however, analyzed that Neptune’s true color is not deep blue (cobalt blue), but a light blue with a hint of jade. It was also revealed that Neptune is a planet that resembles Uranus like a twin.
Professor Patrick Irwin’s team at Oxford University in the UK published these research results in the latest issue of the international journal ‘Monthly Proceedings of the Royal Society’. The misunderstanding surrounding the colors of Neptune and Uranus is because the photos of the two planets taken in the 20th century, including by NASA’s Voyager 2 probe, which was the only spacecraft to fly past the two planets so far, were recorded in different colors. In other words, in the process of creating a composite color image by recombining images taken in monochrome, the planet’s true color was not accurately reflected. Neptune, in particular, was often made ‘too blue’ in photos. According to the research team, following combining various observation data, both planets had the same color as a duck egg, emitting blue light. Both planets are made of ice and have similar atmospheres. About 80% is hydrogen and 19% is helium. The rest consists of ethane and methane.
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