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Incredible picture of Saturn that runs rings around all the others
The Daily Mail ^ | September 7, 2011 | Ted Thornhill

Posted on 09/07/2011 4:40:19 PM PDT by EveningStar

There have been some amazing photographs taken of Saturn over the years, but none quite like this.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; moons; planets; rings; saturn
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To: EveningStar

There was a thread on this this past week end as part of the APOD series. This pic is now my wall paper. Yes, that is earth to the left and the belt of Orion above it to the left.

According to another reader, when he used his astronomy software for that date, from that point, looking in that direction; Uranus and Mercury may be in the photo.


21 posted on 09/07/2011 5:08:26 PM PDT by cicero2k
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To: freejohn

Picture looks like BS to me. Ask yourself, "Where is the Sun?"

ML/NJ

22 posted on 09/07/2011 5:16:12 PM PDT by ml/nj
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To: Talisker

http://news.discovery.com/space/saturns-north-pole-hexagon-mystery-solved.html

Still wild.


23 posted on 09/07/2011 5:20:52 PM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: EveningStar

If it’s a product of the U.S. government, it is automatically in the public domain.


24 posted on 09/07/2011 5:32:47 PM PDT by GAB-1955 (I write books, love my wife, serve my nation, and believe in the Resurrection.)
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To: freejohn

(c) NASA????

I thought all federally funded works are non-copyright


25 posted on 09/07/2011 5:34:10 PM PDT by Christian Engineer Mass (25ish Cambridge MA grad student. Many conservative Christians my age out there? __ Click my name)
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To: ml/nj

It was taken at night as the probe looked back at the eclipsed sun, the night side of Saturn is seen to be partly lit by light reflected from its own majestic ring system.

The rings themselves appear dark when silhouetted against Saturn, but quite bright when viewed away from Saturn, slightly scattering sunlight, in this exaggerated colour image.

‘Saturn’s rings light up so much that new rings were discovered, although they are hard to see in the image. Seen in spectacular detail, however, is Saturn’s E ring, the ring created by the newly discovered ice-fountains of the moon Enceladus and the outermost ring visible above.’

...I think....


26 posted on 09/07/2011 5:35:33 PM PDT by Delta 21 (Make your choice ! There are NO civilians.)
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To: Eyes Unclouded

Cassini Images Bizarre Hexagon on Saturn
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2007-034

Saturn’s North Pole Hexagon Mystery Solved?
http://news.discovery.com/space/saturns-north-pole-hexagon-mystery-solved.html

Yahoo search results for “saturn” “hexagon”
http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&p=saturn+hexagon


27 posted on 09/07/2011 5:35:53 PM PDT by ETL (ALL (most?) of the Obama-commie connections at my FR Home page: http://www.freerepublic.com/~etl/)
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To: ml/nj

It’s behind Saturn. That was the reason for the setup of the photo: The scientists wanted the rings to be back-lit. They maneuvered Cassini to position the Sun directly behind. Does that help?


28 posted on 09/07/2011 5:36:38 PM PDT by LifePath
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To: ml/nj

Blocked from view .. but lighting up the far side!?


29 posted on 09/07/2011 5:36:56 PM PDT by freejohn ("Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." --- Mark Twain)
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To: ml/nj

Not unreasonable. Reflections produce backscatter from the rings, backlighting the planet. With the sun masked, contrast can be adjusted to pick up the otherwise lost lighting.


30 posted on 09/07/2011 5:39:57 PM PDT by ctdonath2 ($1 meals: http://abuckaplate.blogspot.com/)
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To: Hot Tabasco
It's gone through a lot of processing. "Raw" images are taken through various filters and the color is added accordingly, and there are many overlapping views pieced together. Here is one of the raw images, with details here :


31 posted on 09/07/2011 5:52:58 PM PDT by dr_lew
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To: Beowulf9

Beautiful!! Notice that you can put the Star of David inside the hexagon. Also - all snowflakes are six sided and looked like Stars of David.


32 posted on 09/07/2011 6:37:08 PM PDT by bethtopaz ( www.rapturealert.com)
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To: bethtopaz

Interesting thought. The universe...so incredible, so profound if you can see.


33 posted on 09/07/2011 6:44:48 PM PDT by Beowulf9
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To: Jonty30

Well doing the math, Saturn is about 10x as bright as the Earth.

Each point of magnitude is 2.5x as bright as the previous level.

2.5 x 2.5 = 6.25 x 2.5 = 15x.

So the Earth from Saturn would appear to be about +2.5 magnitude as compared to Saturn from Earth. At it’s dimmest, Earth would be about 4th magnitude, at it’s brightest, close to 3rd magnitude.

Definitely visible with the naked eye.


34 posted on 09/07/2011 7:06:19 PM PDT by BenKenobi (Honkeys for Herman!)
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To: EveningStar

The photos of Saturn and her rings look so clean and pure. I have read somewhere that if we could physically there in the vicinity of the planet and the rings the NOISE would be unbearable. The rings are made up of particles that range in size from sand grains to boulder-like objects larger that a large building. As these rings swirl in a large circular stream around the planet those objects are all banging and crashing into each other, making an unimaginable din! FWIW


35 posted on 09/07/2011 7:10:45 PM PDT by Tucker39
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To: stormer

I said, “Bring me a wench!”. :)


36 posted on 09/07/2011 7:12:40 PM PDT by Keith in Iowa (Hope & Change - I'm out of hope, and change is all I have left every week | FR Class of 1998 |)
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To: EveningStar

I was expecting to see a photograph of a compact car, but this is much better.


37 posted on 09/07/2011 7:23:48 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: Tucker39
the NOISE would be unbearable.

Noise without a transportation medium is a problem.

38 posted on 09/07/2011 7:25:10 PM PDT by chesty_puller (Viet Nam 1970-71 He who shed blood with me shall forever be my brother. Shak.)
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To: EveningStar

What is hotlink?


39 posted on 09/07/2011 7:35:09 PM PDT by abigail2
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To: Beowulf9
Physics and the laws of Geometry follow a strict rule. By design........
40 posted on 09/07/2011 7:40:52 PM PDT by PSYCHO-FREEP (If you come to a fork in the road, take it........)
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