NASA’s Cassini orbiter snaps unbelievable picture of Saturn

[pintobean]

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/FInpgLett5qDhpU9OmIGSg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/
I posted a high resolution version in post #8 for those who would like to save it.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/nasa-cassini-orbiter-snaps-unbelievable-picture-saturn-144133480.html;_ylt=AvRiMIb2bixfVOgKUf958Pis0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNtdTkyNGhlBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBGUARwa2cDMDYwMWFkZDUtZTE3OS0zY2QxLWJmNDItM2ZkZGE1Zjg5MTJhBHBvcwMxNwRzZWMDdG9wX3N0b3J5BHZlcgM2NzlhM2FiMC1kYTI5LTExZTAtYmZkOS04NWIzMzhiOWJlNjI-;_ylg=X3oDMTFvdnRqYzJoBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3

[Whisp]

1. yikes, it looks like an illustration.

wow

[Dreamer Tatum]

2. There just better not be any fucking footprints on Saturn. That's all I can say. nt

[Myrina]

5. ... just empty beer cans and a couple pizza boxes ...

;-)

[Puzzler]

6. No chance of that... ever...

... since it doesn't have a solid surface :(

[Uncle Joe]

3. That's a stunningly beautiful pic of Saturn!

:thumbsup:

Thanks for the thread, pintobean.

[drm604]

4. Wow!

[slackmaster]

7. Right-click, Set as background.

Thanks!

[pintobean]

8. Here's a high resolution version

[slackmaster]

9. Already been there, got that one.

Thanks again anyway!

[pokerfan]

24. APOD has a description...

2006 October 16
See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available.
In the Shadow of Saturn
Credit: CICLOPS, JPL, ESA, NASA

Explanation: In the shadow of Saturn, unexpected wonders appear. The robotic Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn recently drifted in giant planet's shadow for about 12 hours and looked back toward the eclipsed Sun. Cassini saw a view unlike any other. First, the night side of Saturn is seen to be partly lit by light reflected from its own majestic ring system. Next, the rings themselves appear dark when silhouetted against Saturn, but quite bright when viewed away from Saturn and slightly scattering sunlight, in the above exaggerated color image. Saturn's rings light up so much that new rings were discovered, although they are hard to see in the above image. Visible in spectacular detail, however, is Saturn's E ring, the ring created by the newly discovered ice-fountains of the moon Enceladus, and the outermost ring visible above. Far in the distance, visible on the image left just above the bright main rings, is the almost ignorable pale blue dot of Earth.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap061016.html

[qb]

10. Amazing - It looks 3D! I have new wallpaper. Thanks!

:bounce:

[HappyMe]

11. Sweet! nt

[TransitJohn]

12. Bomb it!

:evilgrin:

[malaise]

13. Beautiful

Thank you

[Blue_Tires]

14. i think i saw that airbrushed on the side of someone's van once

[dtexdem]

15. I don't believe it.

;-)

[immoderate]

16. You can see the earth in the hi-res version.

It's at about 10 o'clock, outside the bright rings. Cool.

--imm

[lunatica]

17. Is the circle a lens thing?

The rings look refracted inside the circle. And how can there be a fuzzy glow coming off the rings? Space doesn't have fuzzy making properties.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

18. Fake.

Saturn is just a hoax perpetuated by the myso-chauveno-phallic propogandists who actually control the NASA.

[MineralMan]

19. Utterly amazing.

It is now my desktop background.

[Motown_Johnny]

21. mine too

pretty freaky to see it that large, isn't it?

[Motown_Johnny]

20. Wow, so the sun is behind and a bit below Saturn in this shot?

I am surprised to not see a shadow over the portion of the rings that are facing the camera.


That really is something special. Thanks for sharing.

[Posteritatis]

27. It's probably a very long exposure and the rings would reflect quite a bit of light eventually. (nt)

[sufrommich]

22. Very cool. nt

[deucemagnet]

23. That looks other-worldly.

But then it is another world, isn't it?

[Liberal_in_LA]

25. is that real?

[Xithras]

30. Yes and no. The image was enhanced.

The image is real, but NASA color enhanced it in order to bring out the detail.

Here is the original and unenhanced version (click and scroll down a little): http://tomsastroblog.com/archives/8468

[Hosnon]

26. I had that as my background for a while. The tiny dot to the left,

right next to the second visible ring from the outside, is Earth.

[Xithras]

28. Yahoo News is YEARS behind on this one.

This image is my desktop wallpaper on one of my PC's, and checking the datestamp on the file, it looks like I've had it on my computer since June 5, 2008. I think I originally found it via APOD.

[pokerfan]

31. It was APOD for October 16, 2006

not to say that it isn't a cool image, but it is almost five years old.

Yahoo's been going downhill for a long time. They fired their CEO the other day and their stock surged five percent. :rofl:

[InvisibleTouch]

29. Thanks for this amazing image!

I saved it, too. :)

[pokerfan]

32. I will never forget the first time I saw Saturn

through a telescope. I was nine years old and it looked something like this:



Like Galileo, I was never quite the same.

[seaglass]

33. wait I don't get it. why is it see-through? not trying to be dumb here

it's a beautiful image but hasn't it been manipulated somehow?

[gristy]

37. Not dumb.

It looks photoshopped to me too. Even the "original" photo.

[SpiralHawk]

34. "In this I am well pleased." - S. A. Turn

[pintobean]

35. Kick for the evening DUers

[Beaverhausen]

36. Dayum!

that is breathtaking!

[Scurrilous]

38. K & R

:thumbsup: