Far out (as they say) gives a particular view of Earth and its Moon.

Astronomy Picture of the Day on 23/11/24 showed a composite of two photographs of Earth from the vicinity of other planets. A picture taken from near Saturn by the Cassini probe and another from Mercury orbit taken by Messenger:-

Such a small dot in a big universe.

Does this somewhat eerie image, from Astronomy Picture of the Day for 19/8/23, depict Saturn and one of its moons? Or is it even from another solar system?

No. It is in fact the planet Neptune captured by the James Webb Telescope in infra-red light. Its largest moon, Triton, brighter than its primary in reflected sunlight, is at the top left showing the James Webb Telescope’s typical diffraction spikes.

This is of course not our own moon.

Titan, however has an atmosphere, itself murky at visible wavelengths of light but which would make its edges shimmery in any case, as pictured by the Cassini spacecraft above Saturn’s rings and clouds, showing off the hemisphere which Saturn never sees.

From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 27/5/22.

With bonus rings.

Another great picture from the Cassini Probe, taken from Astronomy Picture of the Day for 4/4/2021.

The most obvious moon is the bright Dione, hovering on the centre of the frame, with shadowy but much larger Titan in the background. Titan is the tenth largest object in the Solar System bigger than the planet Mercury.

To the extreme right of the rings is Pandora, a moon which shepherds Saturn’s F ring.

Just in the gap in the rings (the Encke gap) is Pan, only 35 kilometres across but which keeps the gap free of ring particles.

From Astronomy Picture of the Day for 9/1/21 here is a view of Saturn’s moon Titan 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.

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:-

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.

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.

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.

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:-