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Astronomy Picture of the Day 5-11-02
NASA ^ | 5-11-02 | Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell

Posted on 05/11/2002 5:07:00 AM PDT by petuniasevan

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2002 May 11
See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download
 the highest resolution version available.

Natural Saturn On The Cassini Cruise
Credit: Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/ STScI/ NASA)

Explanation: What could you see approaching Saturn aboard an interplanetary cruise ship? Your view would likely resemble this subtly shaded image of the gorgeous ringed gas giant. Processed by the Hubble Heritage project, the picture intentionally avoids overemphasizing color contrasts and presents a natural looking Saturn with cloud bands, storms, nearly edge-on rings, and the small round shadow of the moon Enceladus near the center of the planet's disk. Of course, seats were not available on the only ship currently enroute, the Cassini spacecraft. Cassini flew by Jupiter at the turn of the millennium and is scheduled to arrive at Saturn in the year 2004. After an extended cruise to a world 1,400 million kilometers from the Sun, Cassini will tour the Saturnian system, conducting a remote, robotic exploration with software and instruments designed by denizens of planet Earth.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; cassini; clouds; enceladus; exploration; image; moon; natural; photography; planet; probe; rings; satellite; saturn; science; solarsystem; space; spacecraft; storms
There isn't another country on Earth that can launch so many space vehicles that it isn't even news anymore. Even the much-vaunted European Space Agency piggybacks many of its missions on NASA hardware, such as the Cassini probe.

Get on the APOD PING list!

1 posted on 05/11/2002 5:07:00 AM PDT by petuniasevan
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To: MozartLover; Joan912; NovemberCharlie; snowfox; Dawgsquat; viligantcitizen; theDentist; grlfrnd...
APOD PING!
2 posted on 05/11/2002 5:08:02 AM PDT by petuniasevan
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To: petuniasevan
Ted Turner could NOT improve that picture by colorizing it!!!BUMP!
3 posted on 05/11/2002 5:45:19 AM PDT by sleavelessinseattle
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To: petuniasevan
Beautiful!
4 posted on 05/11/2002 5:47:35 AM PDT by aomagrat
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To: petuniasevan
Wow. That's beautiful.
5 posted on 05/11/2002 10:19:59 AM PDT by sistergoldenhair
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To: petuniasevan
yes. another awesome desktop photo. thanks.
6 posted on 05/11/2002 11:20:31 AM PDT by glock rocks
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To: petuniasevan
Thanks for the ping...

Excuse me being nosy....but have you taken astronomy classes, or is it a hobby?

7 posted on 05/11/2002 7:40:47 PM PDT by Vigilantcitizen
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To: viligantcitizen
I did take an astronomy class in college as an elective (easy credits), but I've been an amateur astronomer since I was five.

I got my first 'scope (a 30 mm refractor) when I was six, and until recently had a well-used old Meade 10" Newtonian reflector on an equatorial mount. I had to sell it when I moved, and have not yet scraped together the funds for a new 'scope.

I use the software program Starry Night Pro for exploration, education, and just plain fun. It can interface with some 'scopes; I'll be getting a compatible model when I do finally buy.

8 posted on 05/11/2002 7:52:16 PM PDT by petuniasevan
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To: petuniasevan
Cool Gallery
9 posted on 05/11/2002 7:58:10 PM PDT by isthisnickcool
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To: petuniasevan
Thanks for your reply. You seem knowledgable(a lot more than me, anyway).

As a young boy growing up, I spent many hours looking through my small, refractor that I got for my 9th birthday.

My Father has a 8" reflector that is currently being wasted in a storage unit. I've been wanting to get it out and play. Maybe get a camera adapter for my Nikon digital...

Again, thanks for the reply, and for the work you put into these very educational threads everyday.

Kermit

P.S. Do you like wildlife pics?

10 posted on 05/11/2002 8:19:31 PM PDT by Vigilantcitizen
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To: viligantcitizen
Depends on the wildlife. Herd animals are so-so.
But I'd rather have a photo of a creature such as a cheetah, or leopard, or a tiger. I love cats of all sizes.

I also like landscape photography - remember Ansel Adams? His B&W works are treasures.

11 posted on 05/11/2002 8:29:57 PM PDT by petuniasevan
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To: petuniasevan
These were taken on a cloudy day with my digital, so they are not the best. There are some of nesting herons and some of Canadian geese.

The swamp where the nests are located is right behind my work.

Swamp pics.

12 posted on 05/11/2002 8:46:24 PM PDT by Vigilantcitizen
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To: viligantcitizen
Nice photos for it being cloudy. Birds are notoriously difficult to photograph.

There's a heron rookery in the trees between the canal lock and the lake behind my house;
I'll have to get pictures if they're back this season.

13 posted on 05/11/2002 9:04:11 PM PDT by petuniasevan
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To: petuniasevan
"Nice photos for it being cloudy. Birds are notoriously difficult to photograph.

Thank you. The little nikon 775 does a good job, and has impressed me at times. I probably could have played with the exposure and made the pics better, but couldn't stop snapping long enough..

Yes, birds are tough to get. And the deer only show up at the swamp on days I don't take the camera.

"There's a heron rookery in the trees between the canal lock and the lake behind my house;"

"I'll have to get pictures if they're back this season."

The herons have returned to these nests for 3 years straight. Before discovering the nests, I had never before seen nesting herons.

14 posted on 05/11/2002 9:24:00 PM PDT by Vigilantcitizen
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