Voyager at Uranus: 1986

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 mnus, the seventh planet from the Sun, is so far
from Earth, at a distance of nearly two billion
miles, that its discovery in 1781 doubled the size
of the known solar system.
The third largest of the planets, Uranus is circled
I by at least nine charcoal-black rings. Unlike any of
the other planets except Pluto, Uranus lies on its
side. It may have been at an early stage of forma-
tion when it was tipped off its original axis in a
violent collision with another body.
As Uranus travels the solar system in this unusual
position, one pole remains in sunlight for 42 years while the other is dark.
Then, for the next 42 years, the situation is reversed. Currently, its sunlit
southern pole is framed at the center of the nine rings, like a giant bull's-eye.
The Voyager 2 spacecraft is now headed toward that distant target, after
having completed highly successful investigations of Jupiter in 1979 and
Saturn in 1981. Voyager will fly past Uranus at 10 a.m. (PST) on January 24,
1986, passing within 107,000 kilometers (64,500 miles) of the planet's cloud-
tops. The spacecraft's trajectory, which will eventually take it out of the
solar system, offers the only opportunity in the foreseeable future to conduct
closeup studies of Uranus, and later, Neptune.
Thus, Uranus will be the third planet encountered by the spacecraft in the
first nine years of its three-billion-mile path looping through and then out of
the solar system.
Because of its remoteness, Uranus is difficult to study, but a surprising
amount has been learned through painstaking studies from observatories on
Earth.\Even so, information about the planet is sparse when compared to
what As known of planets nearer to Earth.
The Voyager encounter will be the most intensive study of Uranus ever
undertaken, with initial observations beginning November 4, 1985. The
spacecraft's last look at the planet will occur on February 25, 1986. Many of
the highest-priority measurements will be obtained on January 24, 1986,
during the six hours it takes Voyager to sweep through the Uranian system.
In half a day, scientists will gain more knowledge of the planet and its
moons, strange ring system, and unique magnetic field than has been
learned about Uranus in more than 200 years of astronomical study.

Facing page: Uranus and its rings,

showing the planet's sunlit southern
pole. (Original painting by Don Davis.)
Cover: An artist's concept shows how
Uranus and its black rings might look
from the vicinity of one of the planet's
five moons. (Painting by Ludvek Pesek,
© National Geographic Society.)

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington. D.C. 20402
The Voyager Mission in August 1981, Voyager 2 was travel a direct path to Uranus. The
deflected and its velocity increased boost in velocity Voyager 2 received
Voyagers 1 and 2 were launched as the spacecraft swung by Saturn in its swing past Jupiter, for exam-
in August and September 1977 on and onto a path that would put it ple, was equal to that which it
trajectories that would take them at Uranus in January 1986. There, gained from launch.
to Jupiter and Saturn, then deliver Voyager 2 will respond to the pull The gravity-assist technique thus
each spacecraft to explore different of that planet's gravity, and its allows Voyager to tour all four of
regions of space outside our solar course will be changed again, this the giant planets in little more
system. time toward Neptune, which the than a decade.
Voyager 1 has completed its spacecraft will pass on August 24, Voyager 2's Uranus encounter
planetary encounters and is now 1989. These gravity-assisted trajec- and Voyager 1's deep-space explo-
climbing through unexplored space tory changes, which require pass- ration mission have been retitled
on a path upward from the ecliptic ing each planet at a precise point the Voyager Uranus/Interstellar
plane, the broad disk in which in space and time, are the key to Mission.
Earth and most of the other plan- the concept of Voyager 2's grand
ets orbit the Sun. Already farther tour. Given the launch vehicles Uranus
above the ecliptic plane than any available in 1977, the Voyagers
other spacecraft, Voyager 1 is re- would have lacked the velocity to Uranus is one of the giants of
turning valuable information on fly to Saturn without first flying the solar system, but even at about
this uncharted region. past and gaining an increase in 64 times the volume of Earth, the
Meanwhile, two more planets velocity from Jupiter. Even with a planet is so far away that it can't
have been added to Voyager 2's more powerful launch rocket, it be seen without powerful binoc-
itinerary. At its Saturn encounter would take a spacecraft 30 years to ulars or a telescope. The light that
reaches Earth from Uranus is 1,600 tilt, must be quite extreme. One A. Voyager 2 returned more than
times fainter than that received pole spends half a Uranian year 15,000 photographs of Jupiter during
from Jupiter. (equivalent to 42 Earth years) in the spacecraft's July 1979 encounter.
Uranus and Neptune are near- sunlight, while the other pole is in B. This 1981 Voyager 2 photograph
twins: their compositions are darkness. For the rest of the Ura- was taken with an ultraviolet filter to
similar, and they're almost the nian year, the polar orientation is enhance features in Saturn's atmo-
same size—Uranus is about 51,100 reversed. sphere. It is one of more than 33,000
kilometers (31,800 miles) in diam- The length of a Uranian day is returned from Saturn by both
eter, and Neptune is about 50,000 uncertain. Direct measurements Voyagers 1 and 2.
kilometers (31,000 miles). indicate it is either 16 or 24 hours,
C. Voyager 2 will fly through the
The most distinctive feature of while theoretical models based on Uranian system like an arrow through
Uranus is its unusual rotational the planet's rotational properties a target. The spacecraft's path will
position, tipped over on its axis. set the day closer to 16 hours. take it close to the innermost moon,
Scientists theorize that early in the Miranda, and the outermost of
planet's history, a collision with Composition Uranus' dark rings.
another planet-size body might
Because of their similar com- D. The red, roughly elliptical shape in
have tilted Uranus from a vertical this 1978 computer-processed image
or near-vertical axis to its present positions, Jupiter and Saturn are shows the irregular structure of
orientation. considered by scientists to be one Uranus' ring system. The image was
Earth experiences significant set of twin planets, and Uranus constructed from multiple telescope
seasonal changes with just a 23'/2- and Neptune another. The bulk of observations of the planet. (Photograph
degree tilt to its axis. Seasons on Jupiter and Saturn's composition is by K. Matthews, G. Neugebauer, and
Uranus, with its 98-degree axial hydrogen and helium surrounding P.O. Nicholson.)

Oberon
relatively small cores of heavier much heat is emitted by the atmospheric motions that cross the
materials. planet, versus how much it absorbs latitudes of the planet like the
By comparison, Uranus and from the Sun. seams in a beachball—carrying
Neptune, while still giants com- Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune heat from one pole to the other.
pared to Earth, are each much each have significant internal heat It is possible that sunlight acts
smaller than Jupiter and Saturn. In sources—each planet emits more as a kind of thermostat for Uranus,
fact, the two could represent what energy than it absorbs from the providing enough energy to inhibit
Jupiter and Saturn might be like if Sun. Uranus, on the other hand, the release of internal heat that
those planets were stripped of much shares at least one characteristic might otherwise escape.
of their extensive gas envelopes. with Earth in that they both emit
Uranus and Neptune, nevertheless, little heat of their own making. The Rings
possess massive atmospheres con- Every planet employs some Nine thin, black rings are known
sisting mostly of gaseous com- mechanism to distribute the heat to surround Uranus. The outer-
pounds of hydrogen, carbon, it absorbs and the energy it emits. most ring, called the epsilon ring,
nitrogen, oxygen, and perhaps On Earth, sunlight is absorbed reflects only about five percent of
helium. Each planet may have an mostly at the equator. From there, the light it receives—it is about as
ocean of melted ices of methane, the oceans and atmosphere distrib- dark as the dark side of Saturn's
ammonia, and water beneath its at- ute the heat north and south to moon lapetus. The other eight
mosphere and hazy cloud layer. the poles to maintain global tem- rings are expected to be equally
perature equilibrium. black.
Weather Uranus' southern hemisphere Three of the rings are very nearly
One key to determining what currently absorbs all the sunlight circular. The rest are somewhat ec-
drives the weather system on a the planet receives, so there may centric. The epsilon ring is most
planet is found by measuring how be significant meridional flows— eccentric, forming an ellipse around
the planet that varies by tens of rings by Voyagers 1 and 2. There A. Uianus is believed to consist of a
miles in width. are likely to be small shepherd rocky core enveloped by melted ices of
The ring system was found in moons, like those found at Saturn, methane, ammonia, and water, and
1977 when Uranus passed in front which herd ring particles to pro- topped by a massive atmosphere of
of a bright star, affording astron- duce unusually shaped rings. The gaseous compounds of hydrogen, car-
rings might also exhibit the kink- bon, nitrogen, oxygen, and perhaps
omers the opportunity to detect
helium.
the rings as starlight flashed be- iness and scalloped edges caused
tween them. by the shepherd moons, as seen in B. This photograph of Saturn's rings
No one knows if the rings formed the Saturnian ring system. was taken just as Voyager 2 crossed
with Uranus 4.5 billion years ago, the plane of the rings. Though Uranus'
or if they are a more recent devel- The Moons rings are much darker than Saturn's,
opment—perhaps the remnants of Little is known of the five this view is similar to the view
broken-up moons, meteoroids, or a moons orbiting Uranus,- even their Voyager will have of the Uranian
combination of these. sizes and masses are not well de- rings at closest approach.
The darkness of the rings implies termined. The moons could be
that most of the particles lack composed entirely of ice, or they C. Sir William Herschel, discoverer of
Uranus, drew these sketches of what
bright water-ice coatings. The rings may be a mixture of rock and ice
he perceived to be rings around the
could be darkened by the effects of in various combinations, with or planet. He later discounted the
radiation on methane ice, which without an icy outer coating. But observations.
may be a large component of the after the remarkable variety of sur-
ring particles. face features and geologic processes D. Shepherd moons like these
The Uranian rings are expected revealed when the Voyagers flew bracketing Saturn's thin F-ring are
to share some of the physical char- by the moons of Jupiter and likely to be found near or within the
acteristics unveiled in Saturn's Saturn, Voyager scientists are pre- rings of Uranus.

o THE URANIAN SATELLITES

'^SS^^^SS^^5 Miranda £ Ariel • Umbriel 0 Titania 9 Oberon 0

Satellite Diameter Distance from Planet

Kilometers Miles Kilometers Miles

Miranda 500 ±220 310+135 130,000 80,000

Ariel 1300+130 825± 80 192,000 119,000
Umbriel 1110+100 690+ 60 267,000 166,000
Titania 1600+120 995+ 75 438,000 272,000
Oberon 1630+140 1010+ 85 586,000 364,000
 •...

vfr'i-'
. .••-•- (^,'• -
pared for the unexpected at Uranus. The Magnetosphere A. This is the first clear photograph of
The moons are about the same the rings around Uranus. The image
size as the intermediate satellites Because auroral activity has been was acquired with an electronic
of Saturn, such as Dione or reported on Uranus, scientists as- camera and a charge-coupled device
Enceladus. The darkness of their sume that it must possess a mag- (CCD) and was computer-processed to
create a three-dimensional texture.
surfaces suggests that they, too, netic field. Auroras on Earth and
(Photograph by R.J. Terrile and
may have been altered by the ef- Saturn are caused by the interac- B.A. Smith.)
fects of radiation on methane. tion of their magnetic fields with
They could exhibit tectonic fea- the solar wind, the stream of B. Auroral activity occurs in the atmo-
tures, such as cracked surfaces or atomic particles emitted by the sphere of Jupiter and Saturn, as well
frozen flows of icy magma. Sun. as on Earth. Voyager 2 will search for
One intriguing suggestion states The magnetic field of Uranus, if auroras in the Uranian atmosphere.
that some of the moons could have one exists, will be unique in the This photograph of an aurora in
formed from the debris left over solar system, because of the Earth's atmosphere over Australia was
after a collision between Uranus planet's odd orientation. taken from NASA's Space Shuttle in
May 1985.
and another body. In this scenario, A planet's magnetic field is
a body one or two times the size thought to be generated by fluid
of Earth smashed into Uranus, tip- motion in the planet's interior and
ped it on its side, and splashed rotates with the interior as well. In
part of the planet's atmosphere in- Uranus' case, the magnetic environ-
to space. The resulting mix of rock ment, called the magnetosphere,
and gases would have formed a disk could extend one million kilo-
around the planet, out of which meters from the planet. The tail of
the moons might have formed. the magnetic field could extend be-

Miranda

Ariel

Oberon
 Priority Observations 3:04 a.m. (-6.9 hours)
Observation: Uranus
9:15 a.m. (-0.7 hours)
Observation: Rings
During Voyager's Instrument: PPS Instrument: PWS
Objective: Measure solar energy Objective: Ring cro
crossing: search
Closest Approach absorbed by Uranus. for ring particles near
Miranda's orbit.
Instrument abbreviations: 3:45 a.m. (-6.3 hours)
IRIS — Infrared Interferometer Observation: Umbriel
Instrument: Cameras Observation: Magnetic equatorial
Spectrometer
Objective: Photos at closest plane crossing
PPS— Photopolarimeter Instrument: Fields and particles
PWS— Plasma Wave approach—365,000
kilometers (226,000 instruments
UVS— Ultraviolet Spectrometer Objective: Observe expected
miles).
PLS— Plasma Detector maximum in magnetic
All times are Pacific Standard 4:26 a.m. (-5.6 hours) field, plasma torus,
Time. Observation: Uranus and trapped radiation.
Instrument: IRIS
Jan. 15 Objective: Atmospheric chemical 9:18 a.m. (-0.7 hours)
(minus 9 days from closest approach) composition at loca- Observation: Uranus
Observation: Uranus tion of radio science Instrument: UVS
Instrument: IRIS occultation point of Objective: Study composition of
Objective: Measure thermal Earth. sunlit polar atmo-
energy emitted by sphere while focusing
planet from illumi- 6:16 a.m. (-3.7 hours) on star Algenib
nated hemisphere. Observation: Titania (Gamma Pegasi).
Instrument: Cameras
Jan. 23 (approximately - 1 day) Objective: Highest resolution 9:38 a.m. (-0.4 hours)
Observation: Magnetopause and images. Observation: Uranus
bowshock crossing Instrument: PPS
Instrument: Fields and particles 6:36 a.m. (-3.4 hours) Objective: Measure solar energy
instruments Observation: Ariel absorbed by Uranus.
Objective: Search for and Instrument: Cameras
characterize edge of Objective: Color photos. 10 A.M. PST, JANUARY 24, 1986:
magnetic field. URANUS CLOSEST
7:01 a.m. (-3 hours) APPROACH—
2 p.m. (-20 hours) Observation: Miranda 107,000
Observation: Rings Instrument: Cameras kilometers
Instrument: Cameras Objective: Color photos. (66,000 miles)
Objective: Series of photos for
mosaicking. 7:14 a.m. (-2.8 hours)
Observation: Uranus
4 p.m. (-18 hours) Instrument: PPS
Observation: Umbriel Objective: Measure solar energy
Instrument: Cameras absorbed by Uranus.
Objective: Color photography.
8:09 a.m. (-1.9 hours)
9 p.m. (-13 hours) Observation: Ariel
Observation: Rings Instrument: Camera;
Cameras
Instrument: PPS Objective: Highest resolution
Objective: Four-hour study of ring photos.
characteristics while
occulting star (Nunki/ 8:37 a.m. (-1.4 hours)
Sigma Sagittarii). Observation: Miranda
Instrument: Cameras
Jan. 24 Objective: Highest resolution
12:48 a.m. (-9.2 hours) photos.
Observation: Oberon
Instrument: Cameras 8:54 a.m. (-1.1 hours)
Objectives: Highest resolution Observation: Miranda 10:14 a.m.
photos. Instrument: Radio ( + 0.2 hours
Objective: Determine Miranda's after closest
1:08 a.m. (-8.9 hours) mass. approach)
Observation: Titania Observation: Uranus
Instrument: Cameras 9:08 a.m. (-0.9 hours) Instrument: UVS
Objectives: Color photos. Observation: Rings Objective: Study composition of
Instrument: Cameras dark polar atmosphere
1:40 a.m. (-8.3 hours) Objective: Search for moons while occulting star
Observation: Sunlit auroral zone embedded in rings at Algenib (Gamma
Instrument: UVS ring-plane crossing. Pegasi).
Objective: Highest resolution
mosaic of sunside
__ - auroral zone.
10:26 a.m. (+0.4 hours) Jan. 25 Feb. 2 (+9 days)
Observation: Rings 3:55 a.m. (+17.9 hours) Observation: Uranus
Instrument: PPS Observation: Uranus Instrument: IRIS
Objective: Study of ring charac- Instrument: PPS Objective: Measure thermal
teristics while occult- Objective: Measure solar energy energy emitted by
ing Algol (Beta Persei). absorbed by Uranus. planet from dark
hemisphere.
11:22 a.m. (+1.4 hours) 6:00 a.m. (+20 hours)
Observation: Rings Observation: Rings
Instrument: PPS Instrument: Cameras
Objective: Ring occultation of Objective: Series of photos for
Beta Persei. mosaicking.

11:44 a.m. (+1.7 hours) Jan. 28

Observation: Rings (approximately +4 days)
Instrument: Radio Observation: Magnetopause
Objective: Occultation of radio Instrument: Fields and particles
signal by rings. experiments
Objective: Measure environment
12:06 p.m. (+2.1 hours) as spacecraft leaves
Observation: Uranus magnetotail.
Instrument: UVS
Objective: Atmospheric studies
while occulting Sun.

12:36 p.m. (+2.6 hours)

Observation: Uranus
Instrument: Radio
Objective: Atmospheric studies;
occultation of radio
signal by planet.

2:35 p.m. (+4.6 hows)

Observation: Rings
Instrument: Radio
Objective: Occultation of radio
signal by rings.

7:42 p.m. (+9.7hours)

Observation: Auroral zone on dark
side of planet.
Instrument: UVS
Objective: Highest resolution
mosaic of darkside
auroral zone.

9:27 p.m. (+11.5 hours)

Observation: Uranus
Instrument: PPS
Objective: Measure
solar energy
absorbed by
Uranus.
hind the planet to a much greater Voyager's instruments could detect Jovian and Saturnian systems took
distance. such a structure if it exists. place over many days, and the
The magnetic field is expected There may be energetic particles hundreds of measurements and
to be roughly aligned with the trapped within the Uranian magne- detailed observations carried out at
body's rotational axis. Since Uranus' tosphere (like those at Saturn). those planets proceeded at a pace
rotational axis is currently directed Such particles could produce the that, when compared with what's
toward the Sun, its magnetic field radiation effects that might explain planned for Uranus, seems almost
would meet the solar wind nearly the moderately dark surfaces of the leisurely.
pole-on. The magnetic field in the moons as well as the extremely Because of the unique vertical
polar region would be funnel- dark rings. orientation of the Uranian system,
shaped, dipping inward at the pole. Voyager's view will be dominated
This would allow the solar wind Planning the Uranus by the planet's polar region for
to penetrate closer to the planet weeks before the spacecraft's
than would otherwise be possible. Encounter closest approach. While Uranus
As with other planets, the solar With the previous Voyager en- will loom progressively larger in
wind would deform the outer re- counters, mission planners enjoyed Voyager's field of view, the per-
gions of the magnetic field to pro- the relative luxury of sending a spective essentially won't change
duce, in this case, a long tail spacecraft through planet-satellite until just hours before closest ap-
extending directly away from the systems laid out in a horizontal proach. At that time, the pace will
planet's northern pole. The magne- plane, where close approaches to pick up dramatically.
totail may also be twisted into a moons occurred practically one at Nearly all the highest resolution
spiral by the rotation of the planet. a time. The voyages through the observations of the planet, moons,

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10
and rings by instruments on the and assembled. spacecraft transmits data, control-
scan platform will occur in the Voyager 2 has been heavily re- lers reduce to an acceptable level
four hours before and two hours programmed during its flight, and the amount of noise that will ar-
after closest approach to the planet. its six onboard computers have rive mixed with the data. This
been continually taught newly maintains the overall quality of
Remodeling Voyager developed and more expedient the information received.
methods of processing data. As one While the data rates will be
in Flight Voyager engineer put it: "We're much lower at Uranus, Voyager sci-
The fact that Voyager 2 is being flying a different spacecraft than entists and engineers have devised
flown beyond its original design we launched." a technique to squeeze more than
lifetime intensifies the already 200 images a day out of the limited
challenging Uranus encounter for Image Data Compression data stream expected during the
project engineers and planners. Uranus encounter. This has been
Both Voyagers, however, have Each Voyager sent about 17,000 made possible by reprogramming
been found to be extremely adap- images of the Jovian system, and,
table over the seven years since due to the increased distance and
lower data rate, about 2,000 fewer The Australian government has offered
the spacecraft were launched. This its Parkes Radio Observatory 64-meter
adaptability has allowed engineers of the Saturnian system. dish antenna for use during the Voyager
to endow Voyager 2, in particular, The quality of the radioed data Uranus and Neptune encounters. The
with new capabilities even as it stream decreases with Voyager 2's antenna will greatly enhance the data
flies billions of miles away from increasing distance from Earth. By return during critical phases of the
the planet where it was designed lowering the rate at which the encounters.

ORIGINAL PAGE
COLOR PHOTOGRAPH

11
two of the six computers on the Voyager's radioed data stream will move while the shutter is open to
spacecraft. One computer is be four minutes, compared to 2 compensate for the motion of the
devoted to formatting data from minutes, 24 seconds at Saturn and vehicle.
the spacecraft engineering sub- 48 seconds at Jupiter. Without the The moons of Uranus have in-
systems and all the experiments new image data compression herently dark surfaces, and light
except imaging. The second com- technique, each picture would take levels in that region of the solar
puter separately compresses and up nearly 13 minutes in the data system are four times lower than
formats all imaging data prior to stream, severely limiting the at Saturn. These factors, coupled
its transmission to Earth. number of images that could be with the high speed and close ap-
Instead of transmitting the full returned. proaches to the Uranian moons,
eight bits (containing 256 gray means that, to get clear pictures,
levels) for each picture element, or High-Speed, Closeup Voyager's cameras have to track
pixel, only the difference between Photography their targets with their shutters
the brightness of successive pixels open.
is transmitted. The result of this Voyager 2 will be hurtling past Called image-motion compensa-
image data compression will be at Uranus and its moons at a speed of tion, this technique involves rotat-
least a 60 percent reduction in the more than 40,000 miles an hour. ing the entire spacecraft under the
number of bits needed per image. This velocity poses a problem for control of the computer that keeps
Computer-processing of the the cameras on board, not unlike the spacecraft stable in space. Nor-
imaging data at JPL will restore the problem encountered by a mally, the computer would inter-
the correct brightness to each pixel photographer inside a moving vehi- pret such movement as being
to produce complete black-and-white cle trying to photograph the pass- outside prescribed boundaries and
and color images. ing scenery: distant objects remain would take action to stop the rota-
At Uranus, the minimum amount in focus, but to get a still photo of tion. The computer, however, has
of time a picture will take up in a nearby object, the camera has to been reprogrammed to interpret

Wide-Angle
The Voyager Spacecraft back-up radio receiver. The automatic
Camera
tuning compensated for changes in
Voyagers 1 and 2 are the most so- radio frequency caused by temperature Narrow-Angle
phisticated robotic spacecraft ever to changes in the receiver and by veloc- Camera
have flown. Unlike earlier spacecraft, ity differences—the Doppler shift—be-
they are programmed to make in- tween Earth and the spacecraft. The
dependent decisions that safeguard loss of that tuning capability has been
both the spacecraft and its ability to overcome through long-term monitor-
communicate with Earth. ing of the receiver under a variety of
The information the Voyagers re- conditions and through new tech-
turned from Jupiter and Saturn resulted niques that allow engineers to predict Ultraviolet
in at least a tenfold increase in our relative velocities and transmit com- Spectrometer
knowledge of those two planets. And mands at the precise frequency that
there is even more to be learned at can be heard by Voyager 2.
their more distant cousins, Uranus The second problem occurred as the
and Neptune. spacecraft swung past Saturn. The
Voyager 2 carries instruments to movable instrument platform jammed
conduct 11 experiments. Among them in one of its two axes, preventing
are television cameras, infrared and pointing of the mounted instruments.
ultraviolet detectors, and a communi- Engineers later determined that the Photopolarimeter
cations system that doubles as a radio jamming was caused by a loss of
experiment. Three sets of twin com- lubricant and the consequent damage Infrared
puters control the spacecraft's stability to a bearing in the high-speed gear Spectrometer
in space and govern both prescribed train, which occurred after repeated and
and autonomous actions. high-speed movement of the platform Radiometer
All of Voyager 2's instruments are during the busy Saturn encounter.
currently operable, although aging The platform began moving again,
components in two instruments may however, when commands were sent
limit the spacecraft's ability to two days later. After extensive testing Low-Energy Charged
measure the heat radiating from the and analysis, Voyager engineers have Particle Experiment -
planet and the amount of sunlight determined that slow-rate pointing of
reflected from it. the platform can be safely accomplished
Voyager 2 has experienced only two during the Uranus encounter. A pro-
major spacecraft problems since hibition against moving the platform
launch. The first was a failure of the at a high rate will help ensure that
primary radio system and a loss of the platform will be fully usable when
automatic frequency tuning in the the spacecraft reaches Neptune.
this kind of slow turn as if it were technique reinforces the strength Herschel joined the Hanoverian
no turn at all, allowing the of the received signals, allowing Guards as a musician in his mid-
spacecraft cameras to track their data rates of up to 21,600 bits per teens. He moved to England in his
targets without interruption. second. The Australian govern- early twenties after service in the
This strategy was used success- ment has also offered its Parkes Seven Years' War. With the goal of
fully at Saturn's moon Rhea, and Radio Observatory 64-meter an- becoming a composer, he traveled
will be used during the closest ap- tenna to be specially instrumented throughout England working as a
proaches to all the Uranian moons. and used during critical phases of freelance musician, music copier,
the Uranus and Neptune encounters. and organist. In 1766, Herschel
Long-Distance won appointment as the organist
Communications
William Herschel and for the new Octagon Chapel in
Increased distances between the Bath. He was later named director
spacecraft and tracking stations on the Discovery of Uranus of public concerts for the city.
Earth require innovative telecom- A professional interest in musi- Herschel read widely on the
munications techniques. At Jupiter, cal theory, which broadened to en- subjects of harmonics, mathemat-
data rates of 115,200 bits per sec- compass a general study of math- ics, and philosophy. Historians
ond were possible; at Saturn, the ematics, preceded Sir William believe the first book he read on
rate had dropped to 44,800 bits per Herschel's passionate interest in astronomy was James Ferguson's
second. At Uranus, the spacecraft astronomy and led to his discovery Astronomy Explained Upon Sir
signal will be considerably weaker. of the seventh planet. Isaac Newton's Principles, and
But the same signal, received at He was born Frederich Wilhelm Made Easy to Those Who Have
two or more antennas at each of Herschel in Hanover in 1738. His Not Studied Mathematics.
NASA's three Deep Space Network father, a bandmaster in the By his late thirties, his dabbling
stations, will be combined using a Hanoverian Guards, encouraged in astronomy had become a more
technique called arraying. This him toward a musical career, and consuming hobby. He put rudi-

ORIGINAL PAGE
Plasma Experiment
COLOR PHOTOGRAPH
Cosmic Ray Instrument

Radioisotope
Thermoelectric
Generators

Planetary Radio Astronomy and

Plasma Wave Antenna 13
 mentary telescopes together from pitched in as well, even feeding the starfield. He believed it to be a
scraps and used parts. The more of Herschel his meals while he spent comet and reported his observation
the sky he saw, the more he hours grinding or polishing by as such to the British Astronomer
wanted to see. By late 1773, when hand a metal speculum, or reflec- Royal.
he couldn't afford to buy the most tor, for his telescope. Within days, however, the ob-
powerful telescope available, he With the best of his telescopes ject's orbit was calculated as one
determined to build his own. (a 7-foot focal-length instrument no comet would likely follow. In
Herschel and his brother Alex- with a 6.2-inch reflector), he began addition, it was so distant that, if
ander and sister Caroline, also what he called "reviews of the it had been a comet, it would have
musicians, shared a house in Bath. heavens" from his garden. Over been too small to be seen with the
Building William's telescopes be- months of observations, he be- instruments of the day.
came a family affair. lieved he'd spotted forests of trees News of the sighting spread
Alexander helped with the con- on the moon and noted them in quickly throughout the scientific
struction. "It was to my sorrow," his meticulously kept log. He community. Astronomers and
wrote Caroline in her memoirs, spent many of his observing hours mathematicians across Europe
"that I saw almost every room studying double stars and decided computed the object's approximate
turned into a workshop . . . Alex to study generally the distribution size and orbit and, by May 1781,
putting up a huge turning machine of the stars and to try to calculate concluded that 42-year-old amateur
in a bedroom for turning patterns, their distances. astronomer William Herschel of
grinding glasses and turning While studying stars in the con- Bath had discovered a new planet
eyepieces." stellation Gemini the night of as far beyond Saturn as Saturn is
But Caroline, who would also March 13, 1781, he found a disk- from the Sun.
become a talented astronomer, like object moving slowly across Many names were proposed for

14
the new body: "Hypercronius" throughout his career, also discov- A. A page from Herschel's notebook of
("above Saturn"), "Minerva" (the ered the Uranian moons Titania Tuesday, March 13, 1781, describing
Roman goddess of wisdom), and and Oberon in 1787. English his observation of what he believed to
"Herschel" were candidates. astronomer William Lassell found be a comet. The comet turned out to
be Uranus. (Royal Astronomical
Herschel offered "Georgium Sidus" Ariel and Umbriel in 1851. Society.)
("The Georgian Planet") to flatter Herschel's son, John, named all
King George III of England and four. They are the only moons in B. Not only did William Herschel become
Herschel's native Hanover. (Royal the solar system not called after famous as an astronomer, but so did his
patronage would later support figures in Greek and Roman my- sister Caroline and his son John, as well.
Herschel's work during his distin- thology. Instead, they are named (Painting by Jean-Leon Huens, © National
guished scientific career.) But, for characters in English literature: Geographic Society.)
astronomy being an international Oberon and Titania are the king
concern and George being an un- and queen of the fairies in Shake-
popular monarch outside of England speare's A Midsummer Night's
and Hanover, variations on his Dream-, Ariel and Umbriel appear
name were vetoed. Astronomers in Alexander Pope's Rape of the
finally agreed upon "Uranus"- Lock; Ariel also appears as a spirit
personification of the heavens in in Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Greek mythology, son of Gaea Miranda, discovered by the late
(Earth), and, by her, father of American astronomer Gerald
Saturn and grandfather to Jupiter. Kuiper in 1948, is named after
Herschel, continually building Prospero's daughter in The
bigger and better telescopes Tempest.

ORIGINAL PAGE
COLOR PHOTOGRAPH

"

o
a
15
 ends, scientists and engineers will begin detailed
planning of the Voyager's 1989 encounter with
> Neptune.
As it travels toward its next target, the spacecraft
will continue fields and particles experiments in
the region between Uranus and Neptune. In addi-
• tion, engineers will use the three-and-a-half year
I cruise time to explore new ways to improve
( Voyager's ability to collect, compress, and return
J data from Neptune to Earth.
In the late 1990s, both Voyagers are expected to find the heliopause—the
boundary where interstellar space begins. Voyager 1 will travel in the direc-
tion of the star Rasalhague (Alpha Ophiuchus); Voyager 2 toward Sirius
(Alpha Canis Majoris). They will be the first spacecraft to travel through
interstellar space.

A. and B. The trajectories of Voyagers

1 and 2 are shown. Voyager 1 em-
barked on a tourney into unexplored
space above the plane of the solar
system after its Saturn encounter in
1980. Voyager 2, however, pushes on
to its Uranus encounter in January
1986, and Neptune in August 1989.

C. On August 25, 1989, Voyager 2 will >

come within 20,000 miles of Neptune.
/Ncpiune
(Painting by Don Davis.)

* I'.si;.!'.().
PAGE
NASA
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California

JPL 400-268 7/85