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Bands of Clouds and Lace
| Description |
Here on the Gallery page you can find the very latest images, videos and products from the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, including the spectacular launch, spacecraft assembly and the exciting trip to Saturn. |
| Full Description |
As Cassini nears its rendezvous with Saturn, new detail in the banded clouds of the planet's atmosphere are becoming visible. Cassini began the journey to the ringed world of Saturn nearly seven years ago and is now less than two months away from orbit insertion on June 30. Cassini¿s narrow-angle camera took this image on April 16, 2004, when the spacecraft was 38.5 million kilometers (23.9 million miles) from Saturn. Dark regions are generally areas free of high clouds, and bright areas are places with high, thick clouds which shield the view of the darker areas below. A dark spot is visible at the south pole, which is remarkable to scientists because it is so small and centered. The spot could be affected by Saturn's magnetic field, which is nearly aligned with the planet's rotation axis, unlike the magnetic fields of Jupiter and Earth. From south to north, other notable features are the two white spots just above the dark spot toward the right, and the large dark oblong-shaped feature that extends across the middle. The darker band beneath the oblong-shaped feature has begun to show a lacy pattern of lighter-colored, high altitude clouds, indicative of turbulent atmospheric conditions. The cloud bands move at different speeds, and their irregularities may be due to either the different motions between them or to disturbances below the visible cloud layer. Such disturbances might be powered by the planet's internal heat, Saturn radiates more energy than it receives from the Sun. The moon Mimas (396 kilometers, 245 miles across) is visible to the left of the south pole. Saturn currently has 31 known moons. Since launch, 13 new moons have been discovered by ground-based telescopes. Cassini will get a closer look and may discover new moons, perhaps embedded within the planet¿s magnificent rings. This image was taken using a filter sensitive to light near 727 nanometers, one of the near-infrared absorption bands of methane gas, which is one of the ingredients in Saturn's atmosphere. The image scale is approximately 231 kilometers (144 miles) per pixel. Contrast has been enhanced to aid visibility of features in the atmosphere. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit, http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the Cassini imaging team home page, http://ciclops.org . Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
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M20: The Trifid Nebula
| Title |
M20: The Trifid Nebula |
| Explanation |
Unspeakable beauty and unimaginable bedlam can be found together in the Trifid Nebula [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m020.html ]. Also known as M20, this photogenic nebula [ http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/html/im0587.html ] is visible with good binoculars towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Sagittarius [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Sagittarius.html ]. The energetic processes of star formation [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990502.html ] create not only the colors but the chaos. The red-glowing gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980828.html ] results from high-energy starlight striking interstellar hydrogen [ http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/1.html ] gas. The dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990509.html ] filaments [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990607.html ] that lace M20 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970828.html ] were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars [ http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/workx/starlife/StarpageS_26M.html ] and in the debris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990803.html ] from supernovae [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/supernovae.html ] explosions. Which bright young stars light up the blue reflection nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/reflection_nebulae.html ] is still being investigated [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1986AJ.....92.1125L ]. The light from M20 [ http://www.aao.gov.au/local/www/dfm/aat069.html ] we see today left perhaps 3000 years ago, although the exact distance remains unknown. Light takes about 50 years to cross M20 [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/n6514x.html ]. |
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The Lagoon Nebula in Gas, Du
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| Title |
The Lagoon Nebula in Gas, Dust, and Stars |
| Explanation |
Stars are battling gas and dust in the Lagoon Nebula but the photographers are winning. Also known as M8, this photogenic nebula [ http://astrosurf.com/afernandez/gallery/deepsky/m8/m8_lrgb_asa_70.htm ] is visible [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011229.html ] even without binoculars towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Sagittarius [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Sagittarius.html ]. The energetic processes of star formation [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030816.html ] create not only the colors but the chaos [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031228.html ]. The red-glowing gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/emission_nebulae.html ] results from high-energy starlight striking interstellar hydrogen [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen ] gas. The dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html ] filaments [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010928.html ] that lace M8 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m008.html ] were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars [ http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/workx/starlife/StarpageS_26M.html ] and in the debris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990803.html ] from supernovae [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/supernovae.html ] explosions. The light from M8 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?m8 ] we see today left about 5,000 years ago [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_millennium_BC ]. Light takes about 50 years to cross this section of M8 [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/n6523.html ]. |
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The Trifid Nebula in Stars a
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| Title |
The Trifid Nebula in Stars and Dust |
| Explanation |
Unspeakable beauty and unimaginable bedlam can be found together in the Trifid Nebula [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m020.html ]. Also known as M20, this photogenic nebula [ http://www.cosmotography.com/images/lrg_m20.html ] is visible [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011229.html ] with good binoculars towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Sagittarius [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Sagittarius.html ]. The energetic processes of star formation [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030816.html ] create not only the colors but the chaos [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_%28physics%29 ]. The red-glowing gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980828.html ] results from high-energy starlight striking interstellar hydrogen [ http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/1.html ] gas. The dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html ] filaments [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010928.html ] that lace M20 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970828.html ] were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars [ http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/workx/starlife/StarpageS_26M.html ] and in the debris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990803.html ] from supernovae [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/supernovae.html ] explosions. Which bright young stars light up the blue reflection nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/reflection_nebulae.html ] is still being investigated [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1986AJ.....92.1125L ]. The light from M20 [ http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/html/im0587.html ] we see today left perhaps 3000 years ago, although the exact distance remains unknown. Light takes about 50 years to cross M20 [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/n6514x.html ]. |
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The Trifid Nebula from AAO
| Title |
The Trifid Nebula from AAO |
| Explanation |
Unspeakable beauty and unimaginable bedlam can be found together in the Trifid Nebula [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m020.html ]. Also known as M20, this photogenic nebula [ http://www.aao.gov.au/images/captions/aat012.html ] is visible [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011229.html ] with good binoculars towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Sagittarius [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Sagittarius.html ]. The energetic processes of star formation [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020108.html ] create not only the colors but the chaos [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011230.html ]. The red-glowing gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980828.html ] results from high-energy starlight striking interstellar hydrogen [ http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/1.html ] gas. The dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990509.html ] filaments [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010928.html ] that lace M20 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970828.html ] were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars [ http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/workx/starlife/StarpageS_26M.html ] and in the debris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990803.html ] from supernovae [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/supernovae.html ] explosions. Which bright young stars light up the blue reflection nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/reflection_nebulae.html ] is still being investigated [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1986AJ.....92.1125L ]. The light from M20 [ http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/html/im0587.html ] we see today left perhaps 3000 years ago, although the exact distance remains unknown. Light takes about 50 years to cross M20 [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/n6514x.html ]. |
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In the Center of the Omega N
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| Title |
In the Center of the Omega Nebula |
| Explanation |
In the depths of the dark clouds [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030202.html.html ] of dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html ] and molecular gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970430.html ] known as the Omega Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021210.html ], stars continue to form. The above image [ http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/2002/11/pr-photos.html ] from the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010806.html ]'s Advanced Camera for Surveys [ http://acs.pha.jhu.edu/ ] shows exquisite detail in the famous star-forming region [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000919.html ]. The dark dust filaments that lace the center of Omega Nebula [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m017.html ] were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars [ http://www.historyoftheuniverse.com/starold.html ] and in the debris from supernova explosions [ http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_sources/supernovas.html ]. The red and blue hues arise from glowing gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020213.html ] heated by the radiation of massive nearby stars. The points of light are the young stars [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031227.html ] themselves, some brighter than 100 Suns. Dark globules [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030816.html ] mark even younger systems [ http://www.ing.iac.es/PR/science/stars.html ], clouds of gas and dust just now condensing to form stars [ http://www.ph.surrey.ac.uk/astrophysics/files/how_stars_form.html#starbirth ] and planets [ http://collections.ic.gc.ca/universe/planets_answers08.html ]. The Omega Nebula [ http://www.astr.ua.edu/gifimages/m17r.html ] lies about 5000 light years [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question19.html ] away toward the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Sagittarius [ http://www.astronomical.org/constellations/sgr.html ]. The region shown spans about 3000 times the diameter of our Solar System [ http://www.nineplanets.org/overview.html ]. |
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Close-Up of the Lagoon
| Title |
Close-Up of the Lagoon |
| Explanation |
Stars are battling gas and dust in the Lagoon Nebula but the photographers are winning. Also known as M8, this photogenic nebula [ http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/HawaiianStarlight/AIOM/English/CFHT-Coelum-AIOM-Jul2004.html ] is visible [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011229.html ] even without binoculars towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Sagittarius [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Sagittarius.html ]. The energetic processes of star formation [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020108.html ] create not only the colors but the chaos [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031228.html ]. The red-glowing gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/emission_nebulae.html ] results from high-energy starlight striking interstellar hydrogen [ http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/1.html ] gas. The dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html ] filaments [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010928.html ] that lace M8 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m008.html ] were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars [ http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/workx/starlife/StarpageS_26M.html ] and in the debris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990803.html ] from supernovae [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/supernovae.html ] explosions. This spectacular portion of the Lagoon Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021006.html ] taken by the CFHT [ http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/ ] was created from light emitted by hydrogen (shown in red) and light emitted by oxygen [ http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/8.html ] (shown in green). The light from M8 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?m8 ] we see today left about 5000 years ago. Light takes about 50 years to cross this section of M8 [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/n6523.html ]. |
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The Trifid Nebula from CFHT
| Title |
The Trifid Nebula from CFHT |
| Explanation |
Unspeakable beauty and unimaginable bedlam can be found together in the Trifid Nebula [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m020.html ]. Also known as M20, this photogenic nebula [ http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/HawaiianStarlight/AIOM/English/CFHT-Coelum-AIOM-Mar2002.html ] is visible [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011229.html ] with good binoculars towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Sagittarius [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Sagittarius.html ]. The energetic processes of star formation [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030816.html ] create not only the colors but the chaos [ http://www.mathjmendl.org/chaos/#intro ]. The red-glowing gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980828.html ] results from high-energy starlight striking interstellar hydrogen [ http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/1.html ] gas. The dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html ] filaments [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010928.html ] that lace M20 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970828.html ] were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars [ http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/workx/starlife/StarpageS_26M.html ] and in the debris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990803.html ] from supernovae [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/supernovae.html ] explosions. Which bright young stars light up the blue reflection nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/reflection_nebulae.html ] is still being investigated [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1986AJ.....92.1125L ]. The light from M20 [ http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/html/im0587.html ] we see today left perhaps 3000 years ago, although the exact distance remains unknown. Light takes about 50 years to cross M20 [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/n6514x.html ]. |
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The Busy Center of the Lagoo
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| Title |
The Busy Center of the Lagoon Nebula |
| Explanation |
Stars are battling gas and dust in the Lagoon Nebula but the photographers are winning. Also known as M8, this photogenic nebula [ http://www.turbinelegend.net/ASTRO/6303E/nbM8/nbM81/nbm81.html ] is visible [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap011229.html ] even without binoculars towards the constellation [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html ] of Sagittarius [ http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Sagittarius.html ]. The energetic processes of star formation [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030816.html ] create not only the colors but the chaos [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031228.html ]. The red-glowing gas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/emission_nebulae.html ] results from high-energy starlight striking interstellar hydrogen [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen ] gas. The dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030706.html ] filaments [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010928.html ] that lace M8 [ http://www.seds.org/messier/m/m008.html ] were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars [ http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/workx/starlife/StarpageS_26M.html ] and in the debris [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990803.html ] from supernovae [ http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/supernovae.html ] explosions. This spectacular portion of the Lagoon Nebula [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap021006.html ] was created in scientifically-assigned colors from light emitted in very specific colors by hydrogen [ http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/1.html ], silicon [ http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/14.html ], and oxygen [ http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/8.html ]. The light from M8 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?m8 ] we see today left about 5000 years ago. Light takes about 50 years to cross this section of M8 [ http://www.seds.org/billa/twn/n6523.html ]. |
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Bands of Clouds and Lace
PIA05391
Sol (our sun)
Imaging Science Subsystem -
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| Title |
Bands of Clouds and Lace |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
As Cassini nears its rendezvous with Saturn, new detail in the banded clouds of the planet's atmosphere are becoming visible. Cassini began the journey to the ringed world of Saturn nearly seven years ago and is now less than two months away from orbit insertion on June 30. Cassini?s narrow-angle camera took this image on April 16, 2004, when the spacecraft was 38.5 million kilometers (23.9 million miles) from Saturn. Dark regions are generally areas free of high clouds, and bright areas are places with high, thick clouds which shield the view of the darker areas below. A dark spot is visible at the south pole, which is remarkable to scientists because it is so small and centered. The spot could be affected by Saturn's magnetic field, which is nearly aligned with the planet's rotation axis, unlike the magnetic fields of Jupiter and Earth. From south to north, other notable features are the two white spots just above the dark spot toward the right, and the large dark oblong-shaped feature that extends across the middle. The darker band beneath the oblong-shaped feature has begun to show a lacy pattern of lighter-colored, high altitude clouds, indicative of turbulent atmospheric conditions. The cloud bands move at different speeds, and their irregularities may be due to either the different motions between them or to disturbances below the visible cloud layer. Such disturbances might be powered by the planet's internal heat, Saturn radiates more energy than it receives from the Sun. The moon Mimas (396 kilometers, 245 miles across) is visible to the left of the south pole. Saturn currently has 31 known moons. Since launch, 13 new moons have been discovered by ground-based telescopes. Cassini will get a closer look and may discover new moons, perhaps embedded within the planet?s magnificent rings. This image was taken using a filter sensitive to light near 727 nanometers, one of the near-infrared absorption bands of methane gas, which is one of the ingredients in Saturn's atmosphere. The image scale is approximately 231 kilometers (144 miles) per pixel. Contrast has been enhanced to aid visibility of features in the atmosphere. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Cassini-Huygens mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo. For more information, about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit, http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] and the Cassini imaging team home page, http://ciclops.org [ http://ciclops.org/ ]. |
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THEMIS Images as Art #4
PIA05368
Sol (our sun)
Thermal Emission Imaging Sys
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| Title |
THEMIS Images as Art #4 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
Released 5 February 2004 Humanity is a very visual species. We rely on our eyes to tell us what is going on in the world around us. Put any image in front of a person and that person will examine the picture looking for anything familiar. Even if the examiner has no idea what he/she is looking at in a picture, he/she will still be able to make a statement about the picture, usually preceded by the words "it looks like..." The image above is part of the surface of Mars, but is presented for its artistic value rather than its scientific value. When first viewed, this image solicited a statement that "it looks like..." something seen in everyday life. Despite being named for the Roman god of war, Mars also can have a delicate side, as shown by this area that looks like lace. Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. |
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