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“Miniature...
Cassini spacecraft began detecting radio emissions from Saturn in April 2002. Cassini was 2.5 astronomical units from the planet. So, that’s pretty far… since 1 AU is about from here (points to ground) to there (points to sun).
This recording is compressed and is actually playing at 22x real time. Since the emissions are well above audio frequency range, they’ve been shifted downward by a factor of 44. But, I don’t care! I love them.
In Oct 2004, Cassini grabbed incredible images of Saturn while hanging around 3.9 million miles away. “See. I’m not stalking you. Geez.”
126 of these images were combined to create this amazing view. It’s the largest, most detailed, global natural color view of Saturn and its rings ever! Click the image to check it out.
Saturn flyby movie, made entirely from Cassini images
This is a demo reel for a future IMAX film called Outside In, which recreates a journey through the solar system using only images taken from actual spaceflights - made by satellites visiting our neighboring planets. Effects artist and cinematographer Stephen Van Vuuren animated thousands of still shots from Cassini spacecraft’s Saturn flyby, knitting them together to create a seamless journey toward the gas giant, past one of its moons and through its awe-inspiring rings.
![unknownskywalker:
Stormy Saturn
Cassini captured this approximately true-color view of Saturn with its enormous storm on February 25, 2011. The northern storm is obvious, but if you look below it you’ll see a subtler band of whirling clouds. [View close-up image]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhrpuv2XaX1qzyhb5o1_500.jpg)
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Stormy Saturn
Cassini captured this approximately true-color view of Saturn with its enormous storm on February 25, 2011. The northern storm is obvious, but if you look below it you’ll see a subtler band of whirling clouds. [View close-up image]
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Beyond Southern Rhea
Cassini looks past the cratered south pole of Saturn’s moon Rhea to spy the moon Dione and the planet’s rings in the distance. The image was taken in visible light on Jan. 11, 2011 from a distance of 61,000 kilometers from Rhea and 924,000 kilometers from Dione.
Just too amazing not to reblog.
This pic was taken by the Cassini spacecraft, which launched way back in Oct 1997 with the European Space Agency (ESA) probe, Huygens. Cassini reached Saturn and began orbiting in Dec 2004. The Huygens probe landed on Titan (Saturn’s largest moon) in Jan 2005. Cassini and Huygens have been hanging around Saturn ever since. Its latest mission, the Cassini Solstice Mission, will monitor the Saturnian summer solstice.
The Cassini/Huygens mission is a joint effort of NASA, ESA (European Space Agency) and ASI (Italian Space Agency) and managed by NASA’s JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab).
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Moons on the Move
Titan emerges from behind Saturn while Tethys streaks into view in this colorful scene on March 24, 2008. Titan is 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles) wide; Tethys is 1,071 kilometers (665 miles) wide. Saturn’s shadow darkens the far arm of the rings near the planet’s limb.
Source: Space.com
A thin strip of sunlight outlines the night side of Saturn. And what is that motley black business near the top? Those are the shadows cast by Saturn’s rings! The shadows! And there is one of Saturn’s moons, sweet li’l Enceladus. Thank you, Cassini! The Bad Astronomer explains the scientifical stuff.
