In 1989, the Voyager 2 spacecraft captured an impressive image of Neptune's south pole. Here is an interesting fact about this region: Neptune's south pole is about 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the rest of the planet.

Voyager 2 has been on its mission since 1977 and is the only spacecraft to visit Uranus and Neptune. On its journey through the outer solar system, Voyager 2 visited all four gas giant planets and discovered and photographed many of their moons.

In November 2018, Voyager 2 reached interstellar space, the region between stars filled with material ejected by the death of nearby stars millions of years ago. Its twin, Voyager 1, has been in interstellar space since August 2012. Voyager 1 and 2 continue to explore regions where nothing from Earth has travelled so far. These two pioneering spacecraft aim to explore the outermost limits of the Sun's sphere of influence as part of the Voyager Interstellar Mission.

Image description:

This image is largely black. The only thing visible is Neptune's south pole, which curves like a smile at the bottom of the image. From left to right along the curve, the planet transitions from blue to pale yellow.