Posted in Astronomy at 20:30 on 13 January 2021
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 9/1/21 here is a view of Saturn’s moon Tiatn that you would never see if you were somehow be able to be on Saturn itself.
Titan is tide-locked to its primary and so always presents the same face to it. Its reverse side however was however visible to the Cassini probe.
Since Titan has an atmosphere its surface is not seen directly but the fuzziness around its edges – seen against the thick line of Saturn’s rings and the planet itself beyond – shows the atmosphere’s thickness relative to the satellite.
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Posted in Astronomy at 20:30 on 30 May 2020
This appears to be an update – or at least a re-angled view – of a picture I posted before.
Astronomy Picture of the Day for 27/5/20, does however show Earth’s Moon better than the previous one:-
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Posted in Astronomy at 20:00 on 22 March 2020
Glancing at the image on Astronomy Picture of the Day for 16/3/20 you’d be forgiven for thinking so.
But it’s not Saturn.
It’s the Moon with a cloud partially obscuring it.
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Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 24 October 2019
I love photographs like this.
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 17/10/19.
Janus, Pandora, Enceladus, Mimas and Rhea, not to mention an arc of Saturn’s rings almost end-on. Taken by the Cassini probe.
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Posted in Astronomy at 20:00 on 15 October 2019
Wow. Just wow.
From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 12/10/19.
On the left the pale blue dot (Earth) as seen from Saturn. On the right Earth and Moon from Mercury.
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Posted in Astronomy at 20:00 on 7 August 2019
Title of post only slightly changed from the original in Astronomy Picture of the Day for 3/8/19.
Saturn’s moon Mimas illuminated by light reflected from Saturn:-
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Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 18 February 2018
From Astronomy Picture of the Day, for 15/2/18, another wonderful photograph from the Cassini mission to Saturn, this one showing the moon Enceladus outgassing plumes of ice.
At bottom right of middle just below the edge-on rings of Saturn can be seen the small moon Pandora.
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Posted in Astronomy at 12:00 on 18 September 2017
A fine video – as shown in Astronomy Picture of the Day for 11/9/2017 and made by amalgamating individual pictures – of one of the Cassini probe’s passes through the Saturn system.
5.6k Saturn Cassini Photographic Animation – First 1 minute of footage from In Saturn's Rings from Stephen van Vuuren on Vimeo.
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Posted in Astronomy at 10:00 on 23 April 2017
A stunning picture of Saturn’s rings backlit by the sun from yesterday‘s Astronomy Picture of the Day. And between them the spot of light is Earth with the tiny pinprick to its left, the Moon.
This is a view that would have been difficult to imagine seeing when I was a lad.
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Posted in Astronomy at 19:40 on 13 March 2017
Nasa’s Cassini probe has produced an intriguing close-up view of Saturn’s moon Pan.
This photograph is today’s Astronomy Picture of the Day.
Pan orbits inside the the Encke Gap of Saturn’s A-ring but is an odd object indeed.
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