Epsilon Ring of Uranus
Voyager 2 acquired this high-resolution image of the epsilon ring of Uranus on Jan. 23, 1986, from a distance of 1.12 million kilometers (690,000 miles). This clear-filter image from Voyager's narrow-angle camera has a resolution of about 10 km (6 mi). The epsilon ring, approximately 100 km (60 mi) wide at this location, clearly shows a structural variation. Visible here are a broad, bright outer component about 40 km (25 mi) wide; a darker middle region of comparable width; and a narrow, bright inner strip about 15 km (9 mi) wide. The epsilon-ring structure seen by Voyager is similar to that observed from the ground with stellar-occultation techniques. This frame represents the first Voyager image that resolves these features within the epsilon ring. The occasional fuzzy splotches on the outer and inner parts of the ring are artifacts left by the removal of reseau marks (used for making measurements on the image). The Voyager project is managed for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.