![]() Scientists have learned much about Saturn's rings NASA has since called them "a laboratory for how planets form." Saturn's storms and hurricanes have been studied closely, and scientists have sent Cassini through the plumes of Enceladus, where it collected samples of an alien ocean. The Cassini spacecraft has been exploring Saturn and its system of moons for more than 11 years now, returning libraries of data that will take years to sort through and analyze. It's been an astonishingly good decade for Saturn science. A scant three planets from Earth, it is perhaps the first hint for a space-faring human race that we live in an infinite universe of boundless beauty, where things are wildly different and yet somehow the same. Is there any known planet that better represents the wonders of the universe than Saturn? Its rings are like sharpened blades of celestial wonder. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Cornell On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives." - Carl Sagan. If "See the rings of Saturn" isn't on your bucket list, here's your chance to add it and cross it off on the same day. In short, if you (or a friend) have a good telescope and know how to use it, the mysteries of the cosmos-the sort usually seen only in science fiction or in textbooks-will be visible in your backyard, and as real and true as the Moon or Sun. ![]() If that's not cool enough for you, consider that this is a really good year for viewing Saturn, as its rings will appear just about as wide as is possible when seen from our pale blue dot. ![]() It will be as big and bright as it's going to get in our night sky this year. EDT, Saturn will be in opposition, which means from the perspective of Earth it will be directly opposite the Sun, and thus in total sunlight. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Cornell Composed of 36 images in three color filters, the photo depicts the gas giant in natural color, as human eyes would see it. The NASA spacecraft Cassini swung high above Saturn in October 2013 to capture this unusual view of the planet and its main rings. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |