CICLOPS: Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for OPerationS

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Saturn’s Smile

 

The ringed planet wears a broad grin in this image from Cassini, as the icy rings cast long, sweeping shadows across the northern hemisphere. Fantastic details are visible in the bright and dark of the gas giant’s many cloud bands, and the thin rings slice the scene in two.

The image was taken with the wide angle camera on February 27, 2005, from a distance of approximately 2.7 million kilometers (1.7 million miles) from Saturn through a filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared light centered at 727 nanometers where gaseous methane absorbs. The image scale is 156 kilometers (97 miles) per pixel.

 

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Saturn’s Smile
PIA 06624


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