Credit & Copyright: NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Voyager Project
Explanation:
This image of Saturn was made in November 1980 by the
Voyager
1 spacecraft as it flew past the ringed gas giant planet.
From a spectacular vantage point, looking back toward the
inner solar system, the robot spacecraft recorded this
view of the night side of Saturn casting a sharp shadow across
the bright rings.
No Earth based telescope could ever take a similar picture.
Since Earth is closer to the sun than Saturn,
only the day side of the planet is visible from the Earth.
For more information see Calvin J. Hamilton's Saturn Page.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day