| Ultimi arrivi - Saturn: the "Ringed Beauty" and His Moons |
Enygma-W00012854.jpgEnygma (2)59 visiteOriginal caption:"W00012854.jpg was taken on January 05, 2006 and received on Earth January 06, 2006. The camera was pointing toward SKY, and the image was taken using the CL1 and RED filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated".Gen 11, 2006
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Enygma-W00012847.jpgEnygma (1)58 visiteDallo spazio di Saturno, una sequenza di 4 frames che, se da un lato ci ricorda la procedura di allineamento e messa a fuoco delle telecamere della Sonda Cassini (frames 1 e 2), da un altro punto di vista ci richiama alla mente immagini misteriose, inesplicabili e, forse, anche un pizzico inquietanti (frames 3 e 4).
Che cosa stiamo guardando? Una stella lontana, uno delle tante Lune di Saturno o...Che cosa?
Original caption:"W00012847.jpg was taken on January 05, 2006 and received on Earth January 06, 2006. The camera was pointing toward SKY, and the image was taken using the CL1 and BL1 filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated".Gen 11, 2006
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Saturn-PIA07669.jpgSaturn and Dione57 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.Gen 07, 2006
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Dione-PIA07668.jpgIcy cliffs in the Sun...58 visiteAfter journeying a bit more than an hour across the Solar System, bright Sunlight reflects off the gleaming icy cliffs in the wispy terrain of Dione and is captured by the Cassini spacecraft's cameras several light seconds later.
Saturn's Ring-Plane is here tilted slightly toward the Cassini spacecraft and is bisected by the Planet's dark shadow stretching across the Rings.
This view looks toward the Saturn-facing Hemisphere on Dione.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 3, 2005, at a distance of approx. 2,8 MKM (about 1,7 MMs) from Dione and at a Sun-Dione-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 104°. Resolution in the original image was roughly 17 Km (such as about 11 miles) per pixel on Dione. The image has been magnified by a factor of two and contrast-enhanced to aid visibility".Gen 05, 2006
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Tethys-PIA07667.jpgTethys and Saturn, in "natural colors"56 visiteOriginal caption:"Tethys floats before the massive, golden-hued globe of Saturn in this natural color view. The thin, dark line of the Rings curves around the horizon at top.
Visible on Tethys are the huge craters Odysseus (top) and Melanthius (bottom). The view looks toward the anti-Saturn side of Tethys.
Images taken using red, green and blue spectral filters were combined to create this color view. Tethys is apparently darker than Saturn at these wavelengths. The edge of the Planet appears fuzzy, which may indicate that we are seeing haze layers that are separated from the main cloud deck.
The images were acquired by the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 3, 2005, at a distance of approx. 2,5 MKM (about 1,6 MMs) from Saturn. The image scale is about 15 Km (app.x 9 miles) per pixel on Saturn and about 13 Km (app.x 8 miles) per pixel on Tethys".Gen 05, 2006
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Saturn-N00047655.jpgWhite ice-clouds on Saturn's upper atmosphere (3)57 visiteOriginal caption:"N00047655.jpg was taken on January 02, 2006 and received on Earth January 03, 2006. The camera was pointing toward Saturn that, at the time, was approximately 2.732.667 Km away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated".Gen 04, 2006
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Saturn-N00047654.jpgWhite ice-clouds on Saturn's upper atmosphere (2)59 visiteOriginal caption:"N00047654.jpg was taken on January 02, 2006 and received on Earth January 03, 2006. The camera was pointing toward Saturn that, at the time, was approximately 2.732.434 Km away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated".
Note: anche questa seconda immagine (molto suggestiva) ci mostra che, negli strati superiori dell'atmosfera di Saturno, sembra esserci spazio per il passaggio di nuvole bianche - presumibilmente formate da ghiaccio d'acqua - le quali, nelle loro caratteristiche esteriori, ci ricordano i cirri ed i cirro-strati che, di tanto in tanto, vediamo anche nei nostri cieli.
Se, al di sotto di queste nuvole, piova o nevichi, non ci è dato saperlo ma, a quanto sembra, questa possibilità - già verificata per le nuvole di Giove - è tutt'altro che remota.Gen 04, 2006
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Saturn-N00047653.jpgWhite ice-clouds on Saturn's upper atmosphere (1)59 visiteOriginal caption:"N00047653.jpg was taken on January 02, 2006 and received on Earth January 03, 2006. The camera was pointing toward Saturn that, at the time, was approximately 2.732.201 Km away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated".Gen 04, 2006
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Mimas&Titan-PIA07666.jpgBig Brother, Little Brother...57 visiteOriginal caption:"Titan, the Saturn's largest moon and Mimas - in the foreground - are seen together in this view from Cassini.
Titan's gravity is weaker than Earth's, so the moon's atmosphere is quite extended - a "quality" that is very well hinted at in this view.
Part of Mimas' dark side is illuminated by reflected light from nearby Saturn.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Dec. 3, 2005, at a distance of approx. 3,6 MKM (about 2,2 MMs) from Titan and 2,5 MKM (1,6 MMs) from Mimas.
Both moons are seen at a phase angle of 110°.
The image scale is 22 Km (roughly 14 miles) per pixel on Titan and 15 Km (about 9 miles) per pixel on Mimas".Gen 03, 2006
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Janus-N00047441.jpgA "Hat-Trick" of Moons...59 visiteOriginal caption:"N00047441.jpg was taken on December 30, 2005 and received on Earth December 31, 2005. The camera was pointing toward JANUS that, at the time, was approximately 2.353.449 Km away and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters".Gen 01, 2006
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Enceladus&Tethys-PIA07664.jpgBrothers in the Night58 visiteThe Cassini spacecraft captures this dual portrait of an apparently dead moon and one that is very much alive. Tethys, in the foreground, shows no signs of recent geologic activity. Enceladus, instead, is covered in fractures and faults - near its South Pole in particular - and spews icy particles into space from active vents. Tethys' giant crater Odysseus lurks in the dark just west of the terminator. North on the moons is up.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Nov. 29, 2005 at a distance of app.x 970.000 Km (roughly 600.000 miles) from Tethys and at a Sun-Tethys-spacecraft angle of 122°. Cassini was then 1,1 MKM (700.000 miles) from Enceladus. Image scale is about 6 Km per pixel on Tethys (at left) and 7 Km per pixel on Enceladus (at right).Dic 31, 2005
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Janus-PIA07663.jpgBrothers-in-arms, Brothers-in-light57 visiteEpimetheus (116 Km - about 72 miles - across, at right) and Janus (181 Km - about 113 miles - across, at left) are lit here by reflected "greylight" from Saturn. The Sun brightens only thin slivers of the moons' surfaces.
A few large craters on Janus are visible in the dim light of Saturn.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Nov. 29, 2005 a distance of approximately 1,1 MKM (about 700.000 miles) from both moons. Resolution in the original image was 7 Km (about 4 miles) per pixel. The image has been magnified by a factor of two and contrast-enhanced to aid visibility.Dic 29, 2005
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