C | NASA/JPL
E | NASA/JPL/University of Colorado
J | NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
K | NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
With its complex rings and enigmatic moons, Saturn is not only the most spectacular planet in the solar system but also one of the least understood because it is so far from Earth. This began to change in June, when the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, packed with 18 scientific instruments, arrived for the first of 76 Saturn orbits.
The $3.3 billion mission was firing back crisp photos of the gaseous planet even before it got there, but the scenery from its first weeks in orbit (A, C,) was nothing short of stunning. In addition to visible-light pictures, Cassini acquired ultraviolet images that hint at the compositional variations in Saturn’s distinctive rings (E), infrared images of a mysterious dark spot at the planet’s south pole, and infrared shots showing temperature differences.
Cassini-Huygens has also captured ...
