All nine known rings are visible. Two each were taken through green, clear, and violet filters and were added together and averaged to find the proper color differences among the rings. The final product was made from the color averages and is an enhanced, false- color picture. The brightest, or epsilon, ring at the top is neutral in color, and the other eight fainter rings show color differences among them.
Scientists use the false colors to understand the nature and origin of the ring material.
Two unmanned spacecraft, Voyagers 1 and 2, were launched from Earth in late summer 1977 and completed flyby encounters of Jupiter, its satellites, and its ring on March 5 and July 9,1979. The Voyagers encountered Saturn on November 12,1980, and on August 25, 1981. Voyager 2 encountered Uranus on January 24,1986, and will encounter Neptune on August 24, 1989. Voyagers 1 and 2 sent back spectacular images of the Jovian system and made startling discoveries. Giant volcanoes spew molten sulfur hundreds of kilometers above the surface of lo, one of Jupiter's four large satellites.