NASA shares breathtaking image of Saturn and its rings, internet calls it ‘majestic planet’

The Cassini probe snapped this picture of Saturn in 2007 from an orbit of around 700,000 miles (1.1 million kilometres) from the planet. Saturn's seasons are reflected in the length of the shadow. The ring-cast shadows shifted southward as the Earth approached its equinox in 2009.

The next equinox on Saturn is predicted to occur on May 6, 2025, which is around 15 Earth years from now.

The image also show the rings of Saturn. Saturn and its rings, a tawny colour, stand out against the blackness of space. The rings of the planet form the shape of the letter "c" when the majority of the rings are lighted and a single part is cloaked in darkness.

Wispy brilliant clouds dance in the bluish-gray sky of Saturn's far north. Mimas, Janus, and Pandora are the three moons of Saturn that may be seen here. They are located at the 2, 4, and 8 o'clock positions, respectively.

Also, READ: Something strange is happening with bright green comet's tail as it approaches Earth

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by NASA (@nasa)

Saturn's rings are mostly lit by sunlight reflecting off the planet's surface as the planet nears its equinox, the point in its orbit when the Sun shines directly above at the equator. As a result, the ring segment lighted by planetshine is much brighter than the ring segment illuminated by sunlight.