Cassini Observes Saturn's Equinox

[Ursa major]

Raw images of the moment Saturn reached its equinox have been beamed to Earth by the US Cassini spacecraft.


Scientists are studying the unprocessed pictures to uncover new discoveries in the gas giant's ring system.

Equinox is the moment when the Sun crosses a planet's equator, making day and night the same length.

During this time, the Sun's angle over Saturn is lowered, showing new objects and irregular structures as shadows on the otherwise flat plane of the rings.

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | US probe captures Saturn equinox
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[Granfalloon]

Perhaps if the Cassini had a big stylus, we could play the rings backwards and decode the secret messages of the solar system!

 

[Ursa major]

We'd never get to hear it...









...not after the efforts of all the spin doctors that the Powers That Be would be bound to employ.