Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]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.

                              2019 September 20
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                               Saturn at Night
     Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]JPL-Caltech, [5]Space Science Institute,
                          [6]Mindaugas Macijauskas

   Explanation: Still bright in planet Earth's night skies, good
   telescopic views of Saturn and its beautiful rings often make it a star
   at [7]star parties. But this stunning view of Saturn's rings and night
   side just isn't possible from telescopes closer to the Sun than the
   outer planet. They can only bring [8]Saturn's day into view. In fact,
   this image of Saturn's slender sunlit crescent with night's shadow cast
   across its broad and complex ring system [9]was captured by the Cassini
   spacecraft. A robot spacecraft from planet Earth, Cassini called Saturn
   orbit home for 13 years before it was directed to dive into the
   atmosphere of the gas giant on September 15, 2017. This magnificent
   mosaic is composed of frames [10]recorded by Cassini's wide-angle
   camera only two days before its [11]grand final plunge. Saturn's night
   will not be seen again until [12]another spaceship from Earth calls.

                    Tomorrow's picture: flowers in space
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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply.
              [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1909/LastRingPortrait_Cassini_4472.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   5. http://www.spacescience.org/index.php
   6. https://plus.google.com/+MindaugasMacijauskas
   7. https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon/annual-event/overview/
   8. https://spacetelescope.org/news/heic1917/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170926.html
  10. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17218
  11. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/the-journey/the-grand-finale/
  12. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasas-dragonfly-will-fly-around-titan-looking-for-origins-signs-of-life
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190919.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=190920
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190921.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/