Comments on: Peeking past Rhea

By: Saturn’s Moon Rhea Takes A Beautiful Picture; Dione Isn’t Shabby Either. « OMEGA-LEVEL.NET -

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:02:40 +0000

[...] Enlarge. | Via. [...]

By: Jenn

Jenn — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 09:52:14 +0000

I will never ever get tired of the beautiful photos Cassini keeps sending us. It’s sad knowing it’ll only last until 2017.

By: James Pap

James Pap — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:13:53 +0000

Thanks for the answer Tom F. ,even though after reading it , i feel dumb and ashamed.Cheers.

By: Alex N

Alex N — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 23:39:18 +0000

The next moon out from Rhea really should have been named Ghonnor, what fun that would have been. What not funny? I bet you all laughed at Uranus.

By: Life, Nature and Science

Life, Nature and Science — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:01:43 +0000

Greetings from Saturn…

Take a look at this fantastic picture from the Cassini probe with parts of Saturn’s rings and the moons Rhea and Dione: Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Sometimes I get in a bad mood, when I see what humans do to each other or to nature, but th…

By: Tom F.

Tom F. — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:08:20 +0000

Because Cassini’s narrow-angle camera is essentially a telescope with a CCD camera hooked to it. It gives a magnified view compared to what your eye would see.

By: James Pap

James Pap — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:32:55 +0000

Gentlemen,sorry if this is a dumb question,but could someone explain why Dione being smaller and further away(from Cassini’s POV) than our Moon is to us,looks so big in this picture?

In other words,Luna is almost 3 times bigger and 2 times closer to Earth but doesn’t look this big.Why?

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:50:52 +0000

@ Grand Lunar (22) -
My Google-fu tells me it is full of stars.

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:14:46 +0000

Once again, Cassini delivers the Awesome!

Well done (again) to the whole Cassini team!

By: Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum

Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 06:28:45 +0000

Regner wins! (What does he win?) Bragging rights forever!
W00T!!!

By: Regner Trampedach

Regner Trampedach — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 05:48:07 +0000

The Astronomy Bum @ 23: I believe it must be Prometheus, the inner shepherd of the F ring, that can be seen on the near side of the rings (but just inside of the F ring) at about the 4:20 position on Dione. It could also be Pandora, but Prometheus is more elongated, so may bet stays on Prometheus. Pretty neat picture, to understate just a wee bit.
Cheers, Regner

By: mfumbesi

mfumbesi — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 05:47:15 +0000

[QUOTE] We can’t see Saturn itself, but….[/QUOTE]
I take exception to that statement, it should be HER, as in “We can’t see the lovely lady Saturn”.
As you were.
Gorgeous pics by the way.

By: Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum

Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 03:55:04 +0000

Correctamundo, Sawdust! That is the F ring!
Now can you BA Blogees see the third moon here?
No BS, there’s 3 moons here.

By: Grand Lunar

Grand Lunar — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 02:32:29 +0000

Cassini will surely (or at least ought to be) remembered as one of the most photogenic planetary missions!

Now we have to see if it can spot the Eye of Iapetus!*

*kudos to those that know the reference. I’m sure Phil does!

By: Ben H.

Ben H. — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 01:36:26 +0000

I don’t intend to steal Phil’s thunder, but I bet a lot of readers would be interested in the sourceblog for these Cassini images:

http://www.ciclops.org/view/6695/Beyond_Southern_Rhea

I have it in my google reader also. I actually really enjoy seeing the images from the Ciclops page and then seeing which ones Phil will comment on.

Ad astra,
Ben H.
Houston, TX

By: Sam H

Sam H — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 01:05:16 +0000

Exactly what is Phil’s fascination with Haleakala, Maui? Great stargazing site? Fascination with Volcanoes? Personal attachment to Hawaii in general? Hmmm…

By: Peeking past Rhea | Ade's Science Journal

Peeking past Rhea | Ade's Science Journal — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:25:15 +0000

[...] Peeking past Rhea. [...]

By: Chief

Chief — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:14:10 +0000

Reminds me of the charts for planetary density, ie lighter element body will float on “water” (assuming body of water found that is large enough). This is another reason why we need to get out there. No matter how familiar the planets seem, there is always some thing more interesting out there if viewed in a different way.

I really need to replace the 10″ scope I had access to when growing up.

By: Space Geek – Moons, Rings of Saturn « JimmieJoe.com

Space Geek – Moons, Rings of Saturn « JimmieJoe.com — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:52:02 +0000

[...] Bad Astronomer Phil Plait says: The moon at the top is Rhea, which is about 1500 km (950 miles) across. We’re looking past its south pole here. The moon farther away is Dione, which is 1100 km (700 miles) in size. And since Cassini was very nearly in the plane of Saturn’s equator, the rings are nearly edge-on. Note that Dione is on the other side of the rings as seen by Cassini, so the bottom of the moon is obscured by the rings. We can’t see Saturn itself, but it’s off to the left in this shot. [...]

By: Sawdust Sam

Sawdust Sam — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:25:41 +0000

@Carey#7
Could that dark line be the F ring, dense enough at this angle to appear solid? It’s also visible – in the enlarged picture – in the foreground below the other rings.

We need Someone Who Knows.

By: Theron

Theron — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:06:03 +0000

Wombat, you are on to something. Why, all those Hubble shots are just back lit pieces of cloth with pinholes in them. Get Bill O’Reilly on the case!

By: Messier Tidy Upper

Messier Tidy Upper — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:05:46 +0000

What a gorgeous, spectacular picture. I never get tired of these.

Same here. Love these Cassini images. Superluminous.

By: WOMBAT

WOMBAT — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:30:37 +0000

There’s no stars visible in this picture.
Thus, obviously faked on a Hollywood stage.
Thus, the moon landings never happened.

/agentprovocateur

The hazy ring occultation is amazing. We need more pictures of things seen *rhymesigh* through rings.

By: KaneHau

KaneHau — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:25:27 +0000

Aloha Chris (#8)… from the observatories on the Big Island of Hawai’i

By: pete

pete — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:07:50 +0000

Just woke up to such a beautiful photo. Cassini mission is such a wonderful project. My word for this photo is breathtaking