|
Explanation: Next stop: Saturn. The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft is approaching Saturn and will fire its engines to break into orbit around the ringed giant on July 1. The robot spacecraft was launched in 1997 and rounded Jupiter in 2001. As Cassini orbits Saturn over the next four years, it will swoop past many of Saturn's moons for unprecedented close-ups and even drop a probe onto Titan. Pictured above, Cassini imaged Saturn two weeks ago as it closed to only 24 million kilometers out. Visible are complex cloud patterns, thousands of rings, a shadow angle not visible from Earth, and a moon (if you can find it).
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Saturn - cassini spacecraft - rings
Publications with words: Saturn - cassini spacecraft - rings
See also:
- A Lunar Corona with Jupiter and Saturn
- Jupiter and Saturn Great Conjunction: The Movie
- Great Conjunction: Saturn and Jupiter Converge
- Saturn and Jupiter in Summer 2020
- Great Conjunction over Sicilian Lighthouse
- Saturn and Jupiter over Italian Peaks
- APOD: 2020 August 13 Á Jupiter and Saturn Rising Beyond Alien Throne Rock