Saturn is the lord of the rings

[133724]

This is our first look at Saturn from above, revealing its rings in all their glory along with an eerie shadow.

Saturn is the lord of the rings
Pictures from Nasa’s Cassini spacecraft have given scientists views of Saturn never seen before

Over the last several months, Nasa's Cassini spacecraft has climbed higher and higher, providing its cameras with glimpses of the planet and rings that have scientists gasping. "Here are the views that we've waited years for," said Dr Carolyn Porco, Cassini imaging team leader at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado. "Sailing high above Saturn and seeing the rings spread out beneath us like a giant, copper medallion is like exploring an alien world we've never seen before."

Cassini's highly inclined orbits around Saturn will be progressively lowered so that, by late June — three years after entering orbit — the spacecraft will once more be orbiting in the ring plane.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/03/wsaturn03.xml

[Warren DeMontague]

1. That is an amazing picture.

Just stunning.

[pokerfan]

2. Ringworld!

I like this new orbit...

Download the ring crossing video:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/videos/video-details.cfm?videoID=147

This is the view I've been waiting for:


Much higher resolution here: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA08361