Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Ringside with Titan and Dione

NASA ^ | January 05, 2012 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Orbiting in the plane of Saturn's rings, Saturnian moons have a perpetual ringside view of the gorgeous gas giant planet. Of course, while passing near the ring plane the Cassini spacecraft also shares their stunning perspective. The rings themselves can be seen slicing across the middle of this Cassini snapshot from May of last year. The scene features Titan, largest, and Dione, third largest moon of Saturn. Remarkably thin, the bright rings still cast arcing shadows across the planet's cloud tops at the bottom of the frame. Pale Dione is about 1,100 kilometers across and orbits over 300,000 kilometers from the visible outer edge of the A ring. Dione is seen through Titan's atmospheric haze. At 5,150 kilometers across, Titan is about 2.3 million kilometers from Cassini, while Dione is 3.2 million kilometers away.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA]

[KoRn]

Nice pic! As always.

[SunkenCiv]

One last reminder:

Best Short Astronomy Videos: APOD editor to speak in New York City on Friday, January 6

join or quit list APoD 'blog post new APoD topic Astronomy Picture of the Day topic & keyword Astronomy Chat, Bloggers & keyword Science Chat, Bloggers & keyword NASA's APoD archive Calendar 1995-present APoD on your desktop

[RockinRight]

Are there liberals on Titan?

[left that other site]

Magnificent! thanks!

[SunkenCiv]

It’s pretty cool lookin’. Other than the physical drawbacks to long-term microgravity, spending time aboard a station orbiting Saturn would have to be right up there on both the vocation and avocation lists. :’)

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

Looks fake. But, since it’s real, great pic!

[cripplecreek]

Interesting story about the search for moons around exoplanets.

http://www.space.com/14141-alien-planets-moons-life-computer-simulations.html

[dr_lew]

I had a little trouble picturing the ring shadows. This raw image from around the same time makes it a easier since it shows the rim of Saturn's disk, plus you can see detail on Titan's surface in this shot. ( I searched the raw image gallery for TITAN as target of the NARROW ANGLE camera for dates 05/01/2011 thru 05/31/2011 . )

[PGalt]

Thanks. WOW!

[Little Pig]

I’d hang that on my wall. It’s at least as good as any “modern” art, and the fact that it’s a photograph makes it infinitely cooler.

[RC51]

Titan’s atmosphere is about 1.19 times as massive as Earth’s overall and includes Methane & Ethane. There are also trace amounts of other hydrocarbons, such as ethane, diacetylene, methylacetylene, acetylene and propane. Titan’s atmosphere is the only dense, nitrogen-rich atmosphere in the Solar System aside from the Earth’s.

So there is a hydrocarbon rich body larger than our own moon & the planet Mercury. Why is this not evidence that oil & gas have nothing to with ancient biological activity. If true it could render the theory of “peak oil” null & void.

[ixtl]

Are you telling us there is oil and gas on Titan? OMG! If this doesn’t get the space program going again, nothing will. (Tongue firmly embedded in cheek.)

[brytlea]

You’re right it does. I wonder why? But yes, cool image. As always.

[SunkenCiv]

No, but I can’t think of a better place to send ‘em all. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, and I hope that’s a potential X-Planets topic for FR.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks for the kind remarks!

[SunkenCiv]

It’s an “autumn” complexioned planetary system. :’)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks RC51, here’s a keyword related to your excellent post.

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/thomasgold/index

[brytlea]

Aha, well, I hope it always wears the proper make up and clothing colors to compliment it’s tone! Never EVER should it wear pink! :)