Random Acts of Verbiage

In a rare occurance, I will actually bring you this week’s astronomy picture on Saturday. Thanks to a reminder from Tom’s Astronomy Blog I bring you some Cassini pictures of Saturn!

Source: Cassini Imaging Team. Click image for larger version or here for full resolution.

Source: Cassini Imaging Team. Click image for larger version or here for full resolution.

These two pictures were taken on August 22nd and September 21 respectively by the Cassini spacecraft. Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system (after Jupiter) and is a gas giant. Click to see an Earth – Saturn size comparison (Saturn barely fits between the Earth and the moon it is so large). Saturn is made of mostly hydrogen and is flattened at the poles. One of Saturn’s most distinctive features is its planetary rings which have spicific groupings and mainly consists of rock and dust particles. Saturn also has some 49 natural satellites (moons) with Titan being its largest (and is the next Cassini flyby (10/28/05)).

The image resolution is wonderful and the rings cast some beautiful shadows on the planet. The small moons Tethys and Mimas can also be seen in the first image. And I just love the detail of the rings in the second image!

Resources
Wikipedia article on Saturn
JPL’s Cassini-Huygens mission homepage
Cassini images home page
Supreme Beauty – Image 1′s page
Sweeping Ring View – Image 2′s page
NASA’s Saturn Fact Sheet
Almost Surreal Tom’s Astronomy Blog post with a great picture of Dione
Another Dione Image Another Tom’s Astronomy Blog post

My Space Saturday Archive – my (somewhat) weekly astronomy picture archive.

Ή χάρις του κυρίου ημων Ίησου Χριστου μεθ’ υμων.