Caedes

  The Rite of Spring  

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Uploaded: 09/24/09 5:21 AM GMT
The Rite of Spring
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Seen from our planet, the view of Saturn's rings during equinox is extremely foreshortened and limited. But in orbit around Saturn, Cassini had no such problems. From 20 degrees above the ring plane, Cassini's wide angle camera shot 75 exposures in succession for this mosaic showing Saturn, its rings, and a few of its moons a day and a half after exact Saturn equinox, when the sun's disk was exactly overhead at the planet's equator.

The images comprising the mosaic, taken over about eight hours, were extensively processed before being joined together. First, each was re-projected into the same viewing geometry and then digitally processed to make the image "joints" seamless and to remove lens flares.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

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=ppigeon
09/24/09 8:15 AM GMT
Saturn's rings are one of the oddest things in our solar system.
These rings are thought to have formed from material that was unable to form into a Moon because of tidal forces from Saturn, or from a Moon that was broken up by Saturn's tidal forces
Link. See #8

Thanks Phil!
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-Pierre-
.Catharina1
09/24/09 3:42 PM GMT
A very good post and great desktop! Mich
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::Inkeri
09/24/09 8:09 PM GMT
Superb info Phil.Thank you.A Wonderful post and DT.
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.ovar2008
09/24/09 8:23 PM GMT
Fabulous.
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::third_eye
09/25/09 4:09 PM GMT
Given the side of the planet the sun is shining on, wouldn't this be the.. left of Spring? :P

Kidding aside, nice post. Very moody, and somewhat understated. A keeper.
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Please, even if you don't visit my gallery, check out my "Faves".I've left them intact since day "1", and would like it if every image there got the attention they deserved.
::verenabloo
09/26/09 10:16 AM GMT
Between what you wrote and what Pierre said plus the wonderfully awesome photo, it sure makes me appreciate this planet even more. The rings truly are a mystery to me. To have this kind of equipment is just awe inspiring. I look at the light side and the dark side. It's truly an amazing photo taken with so much knowledge...Makes me just want to breathe in deep and just exhale WOWWWW..I love this photo and will enjoy it so very much . Verena
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"Hope" is the thing with feathers-- That perches in the soul-- And sings the tune without the words-- And never stops--at all-- Emily Dickenson
nec
11/05/09 10:03 AM GMT
Saturn is by far one of my favorite planets within our solar system. What a wonderful image. Fantastic colors, fabulous patterns, what a superb ring!
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.GeneralGuy
09/29/13 4:46 AM GMT
In the full-size image, one can see four distinct bright dots. I'd imagine at least one of those is another planet or one of Saturn's moons.
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~Getting rid of all of the fancy visual crap on Vista makes it significantly faster. http://shyguystudios.wetpaint.com/t=anon http://xgraffix.wetpaint.com/t=anon

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