Posted on 11/13/2013 4:44:53 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Explanation: In the shadow of Saturn, unexpected wonders appear. The robotic Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn drifted in giant planet's shadow earlier this year and looked back toward the eclipsed Sun. Cassini saw a unique and celebrated view. First, the night side of Saturn is seen to be partly lit by light reflected from its own majestic ring system. Next, Saturn's expansive ring system appears as majestic as always even from this odd angle. Ring particles, many glowing only as irregular crescents, slightly scatter sunlight toward Cassini in this natural color image. Several moons and ring features are also discernible. Appearing quite prominently is Saturn's E ring, the ring created by the unusual ice-fountains of the moon Enceladus and the outermost ring visible above. To the upper left, far in the distance, are the planets Mars and Venus. To the lower right, however, is perhaps the most wondrous spectacle of all: the almost invisible, nearly ignorable, pale blue dot of Earth.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA]
The pix of Saturn this thing has taken and continues to take...I usually have to do a double take to convince myself whether they are real or “artists’ conceptions.” Just amazing.
Incredible. Can you imagine being inside a spacecraft and viewing that image live?
Imagine. I have tried but I bet my dreams can’t do it justice
I wonder why the Saturn’s band of reflected ring-light has such a sharp lower (southern?) boundary. If the planet’s surface was solid and matte, one would expect the brightness of the reflected light to vary smoothly with latitude; instead, it seems to cut off almost like a focused image.
Perhaps it is “focused” by the same effect that causes a ring around our moon: ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.
I guess it beats being in the shadow of Uranus.
The big version, zoomed in to where it says we are, is mind blowing. Thanks for the post.
did you find a blue pixel in there some where?
Yes. The other 2 marks on the image, and the moons are visible in the large version.
“Can you imagine being inside a spacecraft and viewing that image live?”
Well, that would be....enigmatic, I imagine. I would probably stare at those rings all day, getting no other work done. Then I would become jaded by them. Then, the rest of the universe would become relatively featureless. So I’m not sure that scenario would be a good thing!
It almost doesn’t look real.
Clip at scale showing Our Blue Pixel
bump
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.