Posted on 06/01/2026 11:37:00 AM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: Telescopic views of Saturn and its beautiful rings often make it the star of star parties. But this stunning view of the outer gas gaint planet's rings and night side just isn't possible from telescopes in the vicinity of planet Earth. Peering out from the inner Solar System they can only bring Saturn's day side into view. In fact, this image of Saturn's slender sunlit crescent with the planet's night shadow cast across its broad and complex ring system was captured by the robot spacecraft Cassini. After a seven year long journey from planet Earth, Cassini called Saturn orbit home for 13 years (from 2004 - 2017) before it was directed to dive into the atmosphere of the gas giant on September 15, 2017. This magnificent mosaic is composed of frames recorded by Cassini's wide-angle camera only two days before its grand final plunge. And Saturn's night will not be seen again until another spaceship from Earth calls.
(Excerpt) Read more at apod.nasa.gov ...
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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
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Pretty, and kinda forbidding. As the APOD people are prone to doing with really nice ones, a repeater:
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251024.html
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241102.html
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221126.html
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210911.html
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190920.html
Looks mighty cold.
Wow.
You would think that Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope would have something new. Maybe they just have DEI hires now, claiming credit for what was already done before they were hired. I an under no delusion that this is not, still, the 0bama NASA.
So cool.
It’s also possible that, with turnover, the new kid doesn’t check or remember. OTOH, the description is generally identical. I never noticed it until I started to run the list years ago. During the Obama shutdown, it was run on IP-number servers and the regular domain was disabled because of the Kenyan’s police state BS.
We Got the Best Shots !
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Square Strawberry 🍓 4th
Love that picture!
Grim.
oooooo I gotta get me one of dem hats! ;)
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