APOD: Crescent Neptune and Triton (2013 Apr 14)

[neufer]

Croissant Neptune & Triton

[ta152h0]

too bad. I was going to simulate New Horizon's passage of Plutu with my truck but at 14 km/sec this might be a tall order. I was planning on photographing the 60 mph sign ( 88 feet per second ) going by at NH speeds.....time to have an ice cold one and just imagine

[fausto.lubatti]

Lovely image!

[Roger]

Did no one notice the reference to Neptune's "cloudy moon?" Neptune has no cloudy moons. Ain't no clouds on Triton.

As to why Triton's color is blue, well -- it is likely that this image was made in monochromatic light, because Neptune is almost all blue. That is, the cloudtops of Neptune are mostly blue. Consequently, monochromatic light, rendered blue here, will demonstrate Neptune's color well. So, the person who processed the image considered blue to be sufficient to display the true colors.

It was a mistake. Triton is not blue. Oops.

-- Roger

[neufer]

Did no one notice the reference to Neptune's "cloudy moon?" Neptune has no cloudy moons. Ain't no clouds on Triton.

• Being ironical perhaps:

Voyager 2 found fascinating terrain, a thin atmosphere, and even evidence for ice volcanoes on this world of peculiar orbit and spin.