Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2024 November 2
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                               Saturn at Night
     Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]JPL-Caltech, [5]Space Science Institute,
                          [6]Mindaugas Macijauskas

   Explanation: [7]Saturn is bright in Earth's night skies. Telescopic
   views of the outer gas giant planet and its beautiful rings often make
   it a star at [8]star parties. But this stunning view of Saturn's rings
   and night side just isn't possible from telescopes in the vicinity of
   planet Earth. Peering out from the inner Solar System they can only
   bring [9]Saturn's day side into view. In fact, this image of Saturn's
   slender sunlit crescent with night's shadow cast across its broad and
   complex ring system was captured by the Cassini spacecraft. A robot
   spacecraft from planet Earth, Cassini called Saturn orbit home for 13
   years before it was directed to dive into the atmosphere of the gas
   giant on September 15, 2017. [10]This magnificent mosaic is composed of
   frames recorded [11]by Cassini's wide-angle camera only two days before
   its [12]grand final plunge. Saturn's night will not be seen again until
   [13]another spaceship from Earth calls.

                   Tomorrow's picture: gaze into the abyss
     __________________________________________________________________

      [14]< | [15]Archive | [16]Submissions | [17]Index | [18]Search |
   [19]Calendar | [20]RSS | [21]Education | [22]About APOD | [23]Discuss |
                                    [24]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [25]Robert Nemiroff ([26]MTU) & [27]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([28]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [29]Specific rights apply.
              [30]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [31]ASD at [32]NASA / [33]GSFC,
                         [34]NASA Science Activation
                           & [35]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2411/LastRingPortrait_Cassini_4472.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   5. https://www.spacescience.org/index.php
   6. https://www.flickr.com/photos/m_macijauskas/
   7. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury/
   8. https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/clubs-and-events.cfm
   9. https://spacetelescope.org/news/heic1917/
  10. https://www.flickr.com/photos/m_macijauskas/23826951188/
  11. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17218
  12. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/the-journey/the-grand-finale/
  13. https://www.nasa.gov/dragonfly
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241101.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  18. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  23. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=241102
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241103.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  28. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  31. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  34. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  35. http://www.mtu.edu/