From Cassini: A Splendor Seldom Seen

December 27, 2012

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, in orbit around Saturn for more than eight years.

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, in orbit around Saturn for more than eight years, has delivered another striking backlit view of the planet Saturn and its rings.

On October 17, during its 174th orbit around the gas giant, Cassini was deliberately positioned within Saturn’s shadow, a perfect location from which to look in the direction of the sun and take a backlit view of the rings and the dark side of the planet. Looking back toward the sun is a geometry referred to by planetary scientists as “high solar phase”; near the center of your target’s shadow is the highest phase possible. This is a very scientifically advantageous and coveted viewing position, as it can reveal details about both the rings and the atmosphere that cannot be seen in lower solar phase.

The last time Cassini had such an unusual perspective on Saturn and its rings occurred in September 2006.

“Of all the many glorious images we have received from Saturn, none are more strikingly unusual than those taken from Saturn’s shadow,” said Carolyn Porco, Cassini’s imaging team lead based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado.