Umbriel sits in the cold, dim outer reaches of the Uranian system — a dark, heavily cratered moon that has intrigued astronomers since its discovery. Its low reflectivity and varied surface features make it a useful contrast to brighter Uranian satellites and a target for both telescopic study and flyby observations.
There are 5 NASA Missions to Umbriel, ranging from Hubble Space Telescope to Voyager 2; for each mission, the entries list Date (YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD),Mission type,Key instruments / data (max 15 words) — you’ll find below.
Has any spacecraft actually visited Umbriel?
Yes — Voyager 2 remains the only spacecraft to have flown through the Uranus system and imaged Umbriel (1986), providing the only close-up photos and some spectral snapshots; other “missions” are remote observations from telescopes like Hubble and Earth-based facilities.
How should I use the table to compare these missions?
Focus on the Date to see chronological progress, Mission type to distinguish flybys from telescopes, and Key instruments / data to judge what observations were possible (imaging, spectra, resolution); that helps you weigh scientific reach and data quality.
Nasa Missions to Umbriel
| Mission name | Date (YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD) | Mission type | Key instruments / data (max 15 words) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voyager 2 | 1986-01-24 | Flyby | Imaging Science Subsystem, UVS, IRIS |
| Hubble Space Telescope | 1994 | Space telescope observation | WFPC2, STIS imaging and visible spectroscopy |
| Hubble Space Telescope | 2003 | Space telescope observation | ACS, WFPC2 near-UV/visible imaging |
| NASA IRTF | 2003 | Ground telescope observation | SpeX near-IR spectrograph |
| JWST | 2022 | Space telescope observation | NIRCam, NIRSpec, MIRI imaging and spectroscopy |
Images and Descriptions
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