Saturn: the "Ringed Beauty" and His Moons
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Saturn-PIA07569.jpgThe Kingdom of Beauty54 visiteAbbiamo da tempo notato che le immagini di Saturno (e/o di Giove) e dei loro Sistemi non sembrano interessare i Lettori. Non è solo il counter che esprime "quante volte" un frame è stato aperto che parla e ci racconta, bensì anche gli altri indici statistici che ci informano su quanti Visitatori sono entrati in ciascuna Sezione o sub-Sezione del Sito. Ebbene, quando verifichiamo questi dati per le sub-Sezioni dedicate a Giove e Saturno, la delusione è grande. Forse la colpa è nostra, ci siamo detti, perchè non riusciamo a rendere 'accattivante' il Regno dei Giganti Gassosi...O forse la colpa, se di colpa si può parlare, è dei media i quali, spesso e volentieri, parlano - anche a vanvera - di Marte e/o della Luna, ma molto raramente (2/3 volte l'anno) accennano a Saturno (e Titano). Giove, ormai, è solo un ricordo.
La verità, secondo noi, è che su Marte i media si sono sbizzarriti così tanto che viene quasi naturale interessarsi solo al Pianeta Rosso...Ma attenti: il Futuro, è ben oltre le sabbie di Cydonia!
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Saturn-PIA07599.jpgSaturnian Meteorology54 visitePrima del commento NASA ufficiale, un nostro commento: sappiamo che le immagini di Saturno (come quelle di Giove e degli altri Giganti Gassosi) non "incontrano" molto i gusti dei nostri Lettori. Peccato.
Peccato perchè questi Mondi non solo sono davvero affascinanti, ma anche perchè essi sono così grandi che basta solo riflettere per qualche istante sulle immagini che proponiamo per capire che cosa renda il nostro lavoro di Divulgatori così splendidamente "bello".
Pensate: state guardando delle formazioni nuvolose che caratterizzano gli strati superficiali dell'atmosfera di Saturno da quasi 500mila Km. Le osservate da quasi 500mila Km e le VEDETE! Capite che cosa vuol dire questo, in termini anche solo meramente "dimensionali"?!? Vuol dire che la Terra è davvero piccola. E che dire allora dell'Uomo il quale, rispetto alla Terra, è insignificante?!?...
Pensateci, prima di andare a guardare qualche altra immagine...
There is much to examine in detailed close-ups like this one of Saturn's atmosphere. Scientists are particularly interested in the bright, and in some places turbulent-looking, thin boundary between the large-scale features in the upper half of the image. The characteristic features of this thin boundary might be suggestive of a place where convection is occurring. Convection in Saturn's atmosphere occurs when sufficiently warm air at deeper levels rises to levels where it becomes less dense than the surrounding air.
Coverage on Saturn extends here from 18 degrees south to 50 degrees south latitude. Contrast in the image was enhanced to aid the visibility of atmospheric features.
The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Aug. 19, 2005, at a distance of approximately 487,000 kilometers (302,000 miles) from Saturn using a filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared light centered at 752 nanometers. The image scale is 25 kilometers (16 miles) per pixel
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Saturn-PIA07600.jpgSaturnian Atmosphere: the "Cat's Eye"54 visiteOriginal caption:"During its time in orbit Cassini has already spotted many beautiful "Cat's Eye-shaped" patterns like the ones visible here. These patterns occur in places where the winds and the atmospheric density at one latitude are different from those at another latitude.
The opposing East-West flowing cloud bands are the dominant patterns seen here and elsewhere in Saturn's atmosphere. Contrast in the image was enhanced to aid the visibility of atmospheric features.
The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Aug. 20, 2005, at a distance of approx. 420.000 Km (about 261.000 miles) from Saturn using a filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared light centered at 728 nnmts. The image scale is 22 Km (about 13 miles) per pixel".
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Saturn-PIA07646.jpgThe limb of Saturn55 visiteOriginal caption:"This brooding portrait shows the South-Western limb of the cold gas giant and the thread-like cloud features lurking there. The limb appears smooth, but at the terminator (such as the boundary between light and dark) and at higher resolution, variations in cloud height can cause shadows that are visible to Cassini.
The image was taken in visible, red light with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Oct. 30, 2005, at a distance of approx. 401.000 Km(such as about 249.000 miles) from Saturn and at a phase angle of 155°. Image scale is 20 Km (13 miles) per pixel. The image was contrast enhanced to improve visibility of features in the atmosphere".
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Saturn-PIA07650.jpgCirrus-like clouds in the upper atmosphere of Saturn54 visiteA gorgeous close-up look at the Saturnian (upper) atmosphere reveals small, bright and puffy clouds with long filamentary streamers that are reminiscent of the anvil-shaped Earthly cirrus clouds that extend downwind of thunderstorms. Dark ring shadows hang over the scene while the Planet rotates beneath.
The image was taken in infrared light (939 nnmts) with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Oct. 29, 2005, at a distance of approximately 388.000 Km (roughly 241.000 miles) from Saturn.
The image scale is 20 Km (about 12 miles) per pixel.
The image was contrast enhanced to improve visibility of features in the atmosphere.
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Saturn-PIA07652.jpgCassini, Encke and Keeler: bright arcs in the shadow of the Rings55 visiteSaturn's Rings throw imposing shadows and relegate parts of the Planet's Northern Regions to darkness. Three thin and bright arcs in this scene represent three well-known gaps in the immense Ring System. From bottom to top here (and widest to thinnest) they are the Cassini Division, the Encke Gap and the Keeler Gap.
The image was taken in infrared light (752 nnmts) using the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Oct. 29, 2005, at a distance of approximately 446.000 Km (about 277.000 miles) from Saturn.
The image scale is 23 Km (roughly 14 miles) per pixel.
The image was contrast enhanced to improve visibility of features in the atmosphere.
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Saturn-PIA07656.jpgA "Dry Hurricane" on Saturn!53 visiteAn oval-shaped feature, wider than Earth and with streamers extending out to the East and West, swirls in Saturn's Southern Hemisphere.
Like the rainbands of a Southern Hemisphere hurricane on Earth, the streamers spiral into the feature in a clockwise direction.
Unlike Earth's hurricanes, this storm probably contains no liquid water.
The Planet's equatorial Rings cut across the top of the image.
The image was taken in wavelengths of polarized infrared light with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Oct. 30, 2005, at a distance of approximately 324.000 Km (appx. 202.000 miles) from Saturn. The image scale is about 32 Km (appx. 20 miles) per pixel.
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Saturn-PIA07669.jpgSaturn and Dione53 visiteIn this magnificent view, delicate haze layers high in the atmosphere encircle the oblate figure of Saturn. A special combination of spectral filters used for this image makes the high haze become visible. A methane-sensitive filter (centered at 889 nnmts) makes high altitude features stand out, while a polarizing filter makes small haze particles appear bright.
Methane in the atmosphere absorbs light with wavelengths around 889 nnmts as it travels deeper into the Gas Planet, thus bright areas in this image must represent reflective material at higher altitudes.
Small particles or individual molecules scatter light quite effectively to a polarization of 90°, which this polarizing filter is sensitive to. Thus, high altitude haze layers appear bright in this view.
The small blob of light at far right is Dione.
The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Dec. 5, 2005, at a distance of approx. 2,9 MKM (1,8 MMs) from Saturn and at a phase angle of 100°. The image scale is 169 Km per pixel.
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Saturn-PIA07672.jpgSaturn's limb (enhanced - and yet natural - colors)53 visiteOriginal caption:"Twice as far from the Sun as Jupiter, Saturn's colder temperatures mean that clouds form lower in its atmosphere. As a result, the visible cloud patterns - so striking on Jupiter - occur deeper inside Saturn, reducing their visibility in natural color views.
This enhanced-color view uses exaggerated contrast and intensity in order to make Saturn's cloud bands easy to see.
The Latitude seen at the image center is approximately 60° South of the Equator.
Images taken in blue (BL2), green and red (CB1) polarized spectral filters were combined to create this enhanced-color view. The images were taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 7, 2005, at a distance of approximately 3,1 MKM (1,9 MMs) from Saturn. The image scale is about 36 Km (app.x 22 miles) per pixel".
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Saturn-PIA07673-br500.jpgLike a light in the darkness: Dione54 visiteThis moody portrait of Saturn captures a razor-thin Ring-Plane bisecting the clouds of the bright Equatorial Region. The Rings cast dark, shadowy bands onto the Planet's Northern Latitudes.
At left, Dione is a tiny sunlit orb against the Planet's Dark Side.
The image was taken in polarized infrared light with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Dec. 7, 2005 at a distance of app.x 3,1 MKM (about 1,9 MMs) from Saturn and at a phase angle of 96°. Image scale is 179 Km (about 111 miles) per pixel.
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Saturn-PIA07674.jpgLooking for the "Hexagon"53 visiteOriginal caption:"As Northern Winter ends on Saturn and the Cassini spacecraft's view of the North Pole improves, the swirls and eddies visible until now only in the South are gradually coming into view in the Northern Hemisphere.
Scientists will be looking for the North Polar "Hexagon" that was seen by Voyager.
The Hexagon was a jet stream, deflected by a storm into a six-lobed pattern, that circled the Planet at 76° North Latitude.
This picture shows extensive storm activity and gives scientists hope that the Hexagon is still there. The shadows of the Rings of Saturn cut across the lower part of the image.
The image was taken in polarized infrared light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 8, 2005, at a distance of app.x 3,2 MKM (about 2 MMs) from Saturn. The image scale is 37 Km (about 23 miles) per pixel".
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Saturn-PIA07678.jpgNeon-lights in the night of Saturn69 visiteOriginal caption:"Like a rope of brilliant neon, Saturn's Rings outshine everything else in this night side view, while the sunlit southern face of the Rings reflects a dim glow onto the atmosphere below. When viewed nearly edge-on, the Rings often appear very bright.
Epimetheus and Janus are mere specks to the left of the Ring edge (and Epimetheus being the outermost of the pair).
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Dec. 17, 2005, at a distance of approximately 2,7 MKM (such as about 1,7 MMs) from Saturn and at a Sun-Saturn-spacecraft angle of 75°. The image scale is about 164 Km (roughly 102 miles) per pixel".
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