Crescent Planet Neptune and Moon Triton | NASA Voyager 2

Crescent Planet Neptune and Moon Triton | NASA Voyager 2

Gliding through the outer Solar System in 1989, the Voyager 2 spacecraft looked toward the Sun to find this view of most distant planet Neptune and its moon Triton together in a crescent phase. This elegant image of the ice-giant planet and its largest moon was taken from behind just after Voyager's closest approach. It could not have been taken from Earth because the most distant planet never shows a crescent phase to sunward eyes. Heading for the heliopause and beyond, Voyager 2's parting vantage point lacks Neptune's familiar blue hue. 

The nuclear-powered Voyager 2 spacecraft remains in contact with Earth through NASA's Deep Space Network. The Voyager 2 probe was launched on August 20, 1977.

Learn more about Planet Neptune:

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/neptune/overview/

Image Credit: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Image Date: August 1989

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