Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2002 May 11 
Posted on 05/11/2002 5:07:00 AM PDT by petuniasevan
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2002 May 11
Explanation: What could you see approaching Saturn aboard an interplanetary cruise ship? Your view would likely resemble this subtly shaded image of the gorgeous ringed gas giant. Processed by the Hubble Heritage project, the picture intentionally avoids overemphasizing color contrasts and presents a natural looking Saturn with cloud bands, storms, nearly edge-on rings, and the small round shadow of the moon Enceladus near the center of the planet's disk. Of course, seats were not available on the only ship currently enroute, the Cassini spacecraft. Cassini flew by Jupiter at the turn of the millennium and is scheduled to arrive at Saturn in the year 2004. After an extended cruise to a world 1,400 million kilometers from the Sun, Cassini will tour the Saturnian system, conducting a remote, robotic exploration with software and instruments designed by denizens of planet Earth.
Get on the APOD PING list! 
Excuse me being nosy....but have you taken astronomy classes, or is it a hobby?
I got my first 'scope (a 30 mm refractor) when I was six, and until recently had a well-used old Meade 10" Newtonian reflector on an equatorial mount. I had to sell it when I moved, and have not yet scraped together the funds for a new 'scope.
I use the software program Starry Night Pro for exploration, education, and just plain fun. It can interface with some 'scopes; I'll be getting a compatible model when I do finally buy.
As a young boy growing up, I spent many hours looking through my small, refractor that I got for my 9th birthday.
My Father has a 8" reflector that is currently being wasted in a storage unit. I've been wanting to get it out and play. Maybe get a camera adapter for my Nikon digital...
Again, thanks for the reply, and for the work you put into these very educational threads everyday.
Kermit
P.S. Do you like wildlife pics?
I also like landscape photography - remember Ansel Adams? His B&W works are treasures.
The swamp where the nests are located is right behind my work.
There's a heron rookery in the trees between the canal lock and the lake behind my house;
I'll have to get pictures if they're back this season.
Thank you. The little nikon 775 does a good job, and has impressed me at times. I probably could have played with the exposure and made the pics better, but couldn't stop snapping long enough..
Yes, birds are tough to get. And the deer only show up at the swamp on days I don't take the camera.
"There's a heron rookery in the trees between the canal lock and the lake behind my house;"
"I'll have to get pictures if they're back this season."
The herons have returned to these nests for 3 years straight. Before discovering the nests, I had never before seen nesting herons.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
