Uranus Encounter
Ariel, moon of Uranus
Voyager 2 image mosaic of Ariel.
Mosaic of the four high-resolution images C2684533, C2684535, C2684537 and C2684539 of Ariel,
taken by Voyager 2 on January 24, 1986, at a distance of about 130,000 kilometers.
Ariel is about 1,200 km in diameter.
The most notable features on this moon are the interconnected rift valleys that run across the highly pitted terrain. Some of the valleys are up to 10 km deep. They have formed as a result of expansion and stretching of Ariel’s crust.
Two of the Voyager images covering the terminator on the right are somewhat blurred due to the spacecraft’s motion and the longer exposure times of the camera. This could not be completely corrected during image processing.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Mosaic by astroarts.org
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