17°C
Porth, Newquay, Cornwall. UK
Updated27/07/2026 02:15 
 




NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

🌌 NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Moons, Rings, Shadows, Clouds: Saturn (Cassini)

Date: 2026-06-16

Moons, Rings, Shadows, Clouds: Saturn (Cassini)

View HD Image

Explanation:

While cruising around Saturn, be on the lookout for picturesque arrangements of moons, rings, and shadows. One such striking sight occurred in 2005 and was captured by the then Saturn-orbiting Cassini spacecraft. In the featured image, moons Mimas (left) and Tethys (right) are visible on either side of Saturn's thin rings, which are seen nearly edge-on. Across the top of Saturn are dark shadows of the wide rings, exhibiting their impressive complexity. The violet-light image brings up the texture of the backdrop: Saturn's clouds. Cassini orbited Saturn from 2004 until mid-2017, when the robotic spacecraft was directed to dive into Saturn to keep it from contaminating any moons. Explore the Universe: Random APOD Generator