Category Archives: Cassini

How Saturn shakes its rings

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As well as its moons, Saturn itself can create "waves" in its rings. Credit: NASA / JPL / Space Science Institute

As well as its moons, Saturn itself can create “waves” in its rings.
Credit: NASA / JPL / Space Science Institute

Saturn’s rings are one of the most beautiful sights in the solar system. They are an amazing planetary phenomenon – countless bits of rock, ice and dust orbiting the planet in relatively paper-thin rings, which, when seen from above, kind of look like a giant vinyl record (remember those?). Saturn’s many moons can affect the rings’ appearance due to their gravitational pull. Now, new research shows how Saturn itself can do this also, essentially “shaking” its rings.

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The ‘red rose’ of Saturn: stunning new colour images of giant hurricane

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Cassini image, in false colour, showing the massive "red rose" hurricane at Saturn's north pole. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute

Cassini image, in false colour, showing the massive “red rose” hurricane at Saturn’s north pole.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute

Hurricanes are an incredible force of nature, and these huge rotating vortexes of wind are an amazing sight when viewed from space. But Earth is not the only planet that has hurricanes, and there is one on Saturn that dwarfs any on our own planet. Now, the Cassini spacecraft has taken more breath-taking colour images of this colossal wind storm.

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Cassini sees meteor impacts in Saturn’s rings

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Just like planets and moons, Saturn’s rings experience frequent meteor impacts. Credit: NASA / JPL

Just like planets and moons, Saturn’s rings experience frequent meteor impacts.
Credit: NASA / JPL

Meteors flashing across the sky are a common sight here on Earth, but of course they are not limited to only our planet; these bits of rocky debris, smaller pieces of asteroids and comets known as meteoroids, can be found just about everywhere in the solar system (becoming meteors when entering and burning up in the atmosphere). Now, the Cassini spacecraft has observed similar impacts occurring in another very different and far-away place: the rings of Saturn!

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Cassini views Venus from Saturn’s shadow

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Cassini's view of Venus, as seen from Saturn. Venus is the bright speck shining through Saturn's rings, which are backlit by the sun in this image. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute

Cassini’s view of Venus, as seen from Saturn. Venus is the bright speck shining through Saturn’s rings, which are backlit by the sun in this image. Click for larger version.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute

The Cassini spacecraft has been orbiting Saturn for a long time now, taking stunning images of the giant planet and its rings and moons. Some new images, released today, show a different world though, far across the solar system and much closer to the sun -Venus.

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Saturn’s hexagon and rings put on a display for Cassini

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Saturn’s hexagon and rings are on display in this new image from Cassini. Click for larger version. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute

A stunning new photo has just been published showing Saturn’s north polar hexagon and rings together in one image.

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Ice on Titan’s lakes and seas: implications for possible life?

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Artist's conception of possible ice floes on a Titanian sea.Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / USGS

Artist’s conception of possible ice floes on a Titanian sea.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / USGS

Apart from being composed of liquid methane instead of water, the rivers, lakes and seas of Saturn’s moon Titan are amazingly similar in appearance to those on Earth. The hydrological cycle is also very similar, with Titanian rain replenishing them.

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Glorious new view of Saturn from Cassini

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Backlit view of Saturn as seen by Cassini. Click for larger version. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute

The Cassini spacecraft has sent back thousands of beautiful photographs of Saturn and its moons, but this latest one has to rank as one of the best. This view of Saturn, as it is backlit by the Sun, is magnificent, almost surreal looking. And it’s real. In the lower left, two of Saturn’s moons can also be seen as small dots; Enceladus is closest to the planet and Tethys is a bit farther out. Simply breathtaking…

Cassini finds alien version of ‘Nile River’ on Titan

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Titan’s version of the Nile River stretches across this radar image; part of the Ligeia Mare sea is also visible on the right side of the image. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASI

Want to go river rafting on Titan? The largest moon of Saturn is the only other place in the solar system known to have rivers, lakes and seas on its surface. Appearance-wise, they are eerily similar to their earthly counterparts, but are composed of liquid methane instead of water, in Titan’s extremely cold environment. Now, the Cassini spacecraft has found the largest Titanian river system yet, similar to the Nile River on Earth, as announced on December 12, 2012.

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Stunning new views of swirling storms and hexagon at Saturn’s north pole

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The dramatic, swirling storms at Saturn’s north pole. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute

Addendum: there is also now a beautiful colour version of one of Cassini’s hexagon photos here, thanks to Jason Major.

The Cassini spacecraft has been sending back amazing images of Saturn and its moons on a regular basis, and some new ones just taken yesterday are no exception.

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