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.

                              2022 November 26
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

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

   Explanation: [7]Saturn is still bright in planet Earth's night skies.
   Telescopic views of the distant gas giant and its beautiful rings often
   make it a star at [8]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 [9]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 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. [10]This magnificent mosaic is composed of frames recorded [11]by
   Cassini's wide-angle camera only two days before its [12]grand final
   plunge. Saturn's night will not be seen again until [13]another
   spaceship from Earth calls.

                      Tomorrow's picture: supernumerary
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    Authors & editors: [25]Robert Nemiroff ([26]MTU) & [27]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([28]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [29]Specific rights apply.
              [30]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [31]ASD at [32]NASA / [33]GSFC,
                         [34]NASA Science Activation
                           & [35]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2211/LastRingPortrait_Cassini_4472.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   5. https://www.spacescience.org/index.php
   6. https://www.flickr.com/photos/m_macijauskas/
   7. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury/
   8. https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/clubs-and-events.cfm
   9. https://spacetelescope.org/news/heic1917/
  10. https://www.flickr.com/photos/m_macijauskas/23826951188/
  11. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17218
  12. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/the-journey/the-grand-finale/
  13. https://www.nasa.gov/dragonfly
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221125.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  18. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  23. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=221126
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221127.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  28. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  31. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  34. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  35. http://www.mtu.edu/