Mysterious 'dark spot' on Neptune seen from Earth for the first time
Features could previously only be seen by sending spacecraft to planet
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Features could previously only be seen by sending spacecraft to planet
Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have observed a large dark spot in Neptune’s atmosphere, with an unexpected smaller bright spot adjacent to it. This is the first time a dark spot on the planet has ever been observed with a telescope on Earth. These occasional features in the blue background of Neptune’s atmosphere are a mystery to astronomers, and the new results provide further clues as to their nature and origin.
Using the European Space Agency's Very Large Telescope, scientists have observed a dark spot on Neptune measuring 6,200 miles (10,000km) in diameter - 20 times the size of the Grand Canyon.
Scientists have seen a dark spot on Neptune from Earth for the first time as more discoveries about the ice giant are made.
The first-ever image from the ground of a dark spot on Neptune has revealed vital clues as to the origin of such anticyclonic vortices.