Rings of Neptune

The rings of Neptune were discovered in 1989 by the Voyager 2 spacecraft.

Voyager 2 sent back pictures that gave most of the information that scientists now have about the rings of Neptune.

There is much more dust in the rings of Neptune than there is in the rings of Saturn.

The rings of Neptune are made of extremely dark material, likely organic compounds processed by radiation, similar to that found in the rings of Uranus.

In this respect the rings of Neptune are similar to faint dusty bands observed by Voyager 2 between the main rings of Uranus.

The rings of Neptune, like those of Uranus, are thought to be relatively young; their age is probably significantly less than that of the Solar System.

'We're Back to Square One' "The rings of Neptune are not easy to figure out," said Dr. Carolyn C. Porco, a specialist in planetary rings at the University of Arizona.

It contains a single distinctly brighter arc near its inner edge (similar to the arcs in the rings of Neptune) that extends about one sixth of its circumference, centered on the half-kilometre diameter moonlet Aegaeon, which is held in place by a 7:6 orbital resonance with Mimas.