In a recent study regarding the true color of the eighth planet in the solar system, researchers have revealed that Neptune's authentic color leans more towards a greenish blue, closely resembling its icy giant counterpart, Uranus. This finding contradicts the widely held belief that Neptune exhibits a sapphire blue hue.
A research team specializing in planetary physics at the University of Oxford accomplished a comprehensive analysis by calibrating composite-colored images captured by the Voyager 2 space probe, in conjunction with data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the giant telescope at the European Southern Observatory. These revised data provide more realistic depictions of Neptune's colors, exactly as they would appear to the naked eye.
The variance in color representations of the planet can be attributed to astronomers' historical practice of altering the planet's colors to emphasize distinctive features such as cloud formations and dark spots. In its natural color, these features become indiscernible to the eye. Adjusting colors is a common technique in the field of space research to facilitate the exploration and analysis of chemical components.
The scientific team not only worked on rectifying Neptune's hues, but they also addressed the peculiar color differences observed in Uranus throughout its 84-year orbit around the Sun. Analyzing data from the Lowell Observatory spanning the years 1950 to 2016, they found that Uranus appears greener during solstices when one of its poles faces the Sun and looks bluer when the Sun is perpendicular to the equator.
This chromatic shift is linked to lower methane levels at the poles and an increased presence of icy haze. The research, described by the Royal Astronomical Society as 'dispelling', is set to correct long-held misconceptions about Neptune's hue and the color variations of Uranus.
