Rings, rings and more rings

[mmcirvin]

The Cassini website people went a while without updating the raw image archive, but now there are truckloads of pictures of the rings of Saturn up there, many of them strikingly beautiful. None of them are as close-up as the ones taken during Saturn orbit insertion last summer, when the spacecraft passed directly over the main ring system, but they include some of the best ones taken since then, now that Cassini is in a more inclined orbit for the purpose of observing the rings.

Here's an interesting comparison of the rings' optical brightness and opacity to radio waves (the latter found by listening to signals from Earth through the rings as the spacecraft passes behind them, seen from our perspective).

And here's my favorite recent photo release, the rings seen refracted through Saturn's atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Titan has a mysterious spot.

Comments

[doctroid.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, Titan has a mysterious spot.

Remember, if it glows at night, it's hot.

[twillis.livejournal.com]

Has anyone ever made a miniature 3D model of the rings and tried to play it like a phonograph? Because I am willing to fund some research. I've got some change left over from my lunch.

It'd be cool if there was like a message, huh? Heavy.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

The parts with ripples in them might hum a little.