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Affichage des articles dont le libellé est ASTRONOMY - Saturn at Night. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est ASTRONOMY - Saturn at Night. Afficher tous les articles

02/11/2024

ASTRONOMY - Saturn at Night

 2024 November 2

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

Saturn at Night
Image Credit: NASAJPL-CaltechSpace Science InstituteMindaugas Macijauskas

Explanation: Saturn is bright in Earth's night skies. Telescopic views of the outer gas giant planet and its beautiful rings often make it a star at star parties. But this stunning view of Saturn'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 night's shadow cast across its broad and complex ring system was captured by the Cassini spacecraft. A robot spacecraft from planet Earth, Cassini called Saturn orbit home for 13 years 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. Saturn's night will not be seen again until another spaceship from Earth calls.

26/11/2022

ASTRONOMY - Saturn at Night

 2022 November 26

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

Saturn at Night
NASAJPL-CaltechSpace Science InstituteMindaugas Macijauskas

Explanation: Saturn is still bright in planet Earth's night skies. Telescopic views of the distant gas giant and its beautiful rings often make it a star at star parties. But this stunning view of Saturn's rings and night side just isn't possible from telescopes closer to the Sun than the outer planet. They can only bring Saturn's day into view. In fact, this image of Saturn's slender sunlit crescent with night's shadow cast across its broad and complex ring system was captured by the Cassini spacecraft. A robot spacecraft from planet Earth, Cassini called Saturn orbit home for 13 years 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. Saturn's night will not be seen again until another spaceship from Earth calls.