apod
06-09-08, 01:32 PM
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0806/saturn6_cassini.jpg (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0806/saturn6_cassini_big.jpg) Saturn's Rings from the Other Side
Credit: Cassini Imaging Team (http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu/), SSI (http://www.spacescience.org/), JPL (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/), ESA (http://www.esa.int/), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/)
Explanation: What do Saturn's rings look like from the other side? From Earth, we usually see Saturn's rings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rings_of_Saturn) from the same side of the ring plane that the Sun illuminates them. Geometrically, in the above picture (http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09906) taken in April by the robot Cassini spacecraft (http://www.planetary.org/saturn/cassini_tour.html) now orbiting Saturn (http://www.nineplanets.org/saturn.html), the Sun is behind the camera but on the other side of the ring plane. This vantage point, specifically 17 degrees above the ring plane, gives a breathtaking view (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050211.html)s of the most splendid ring system (http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/saturn/rings.html) in the Solar System. Strangely, the rings have similarities to a photographic negative (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_(photography)) of a front view. The ring brightness as recorded from different angles indicates (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2001DPS....33.2901P) ring thickness and particle density of ring particles. Elsewhere, ring shadows (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050722.html) can be seen on the sunlit face of Saturn, shown sporting numerous cloud structures (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050225.html) in nearly true color.
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080609.html)
Credit: Cassini Imaging Team (http://ciclops.lpl.arizona.edu/), SSI (http://www.spacescience.org/), JPL (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/), ESA (http://www.esa.int/), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/)
Explanation: What do Saturn's rings look like from the other side? From Earth, we usually see Saturn's rings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rings_of_Saturn) from the same side of the ring plane that the Sun illuminates them. Geometrically, in the above picture (http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09906) taken in April by the robot Cassini spacecraft (http://www.planetary.org/saturn/cassini_tour.html) now orbiting Saturn (http://www.nineplanets.org/saturn.html), the Sun is behind the camera but on the other side of the ring plane. This vantage point, specifically 17 degrees above the ring plane, gives a breathtaking view (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050211.html)s of the most splendid ring system (http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/saturn/rings.html) in the Solar System. Strangely, the rings have similarities to a photographic negative (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_(photography)) of a front view. The ring brightness as recorded from different angles indicates (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2001DPS....33.2901P) ring thickness and particle density of ring particles. Elsewhere, ring shadows (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050722.html) can be seen on the sunlit face of Saturn, shown sporting numerous cloud structures (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050225.html) in nearly true color.
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080609.html)