Posted on 09/01/2009 5:52:53 AM PDT by paul in cape
Shadows of Saturn at Equinox
Explanation: Unusual shadows and dark rings appeared around Saturn near its equinox last month.
At that time -- early August -- Saturn's ring plane pointed directly at the Sun.
Visible above, Saturn's moon Tethys casts a shadow visible only on the far right.
Saturn's own shadow blacks out a large swath of rings on the right.
The night side of Saturn glows with ringshine -- sunlight reflected by ring particles back onto Saturn.
Images near equinox at Saturn are giving astronomers a chance to search for unexpected shadows that may illuminate previously unknown features of Saturn's complex ring system.
Cassini, the robotic spacecraft orbiting Saturn that took this image, is not expected to survive to the next Saturnian equinox in 15 years.
incredible
“Footfall” :)
Looks like one of my old vinyl record albums.
You should provide an Encyclopedia link to that for those 30 yo and younger :-)
Cool!
WOW!
Awesome, thank you!
Hah! I should have....
I go buy the picture frames designed just for the old albums to make them wall decorations. Have about a half dozen on the wall now.
I think I sat behind her in church!
Its all physics and it all works as expected. There is a beauty to science.
Wow, now that is a cool idea!
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