Comments on: The immensity of Saturn

By: chris

chris — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:44:04 +0000

I’m still thinking about this picture two months later. Does anyone know if there is a bigger version than that at CICLOPS (1020px on a side)? I’d gladly pay for a nice print of it.

By: Dan Henderson

Dan Henderson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:14:01 +0000

The fact that, on the left edge of the picture, you can see the back side of the rings disappearing behind Saturn, separated slightly from the part of the rings on the near side, means the rings are not quite exactly horizontal with the camera, which is a good thing. If they were exactly horizontal, they might easily disappear from view (except for the shadows, of course). I’ve been told they’re only about 5 meters (15 feet) thick.

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:04:42 +0000

Jeff (13) said:

when I was a grad student in 1980 at UW-Madison, a professor excitedly brought into our class some crude voyager pictures of Jupiter or Saturn. Boy, we’ve come a long way, this new one is just unbelievable in resolution.

Heh. I had a similar experience in about 1990. I was in the students’ Astronomical Society at Uni, and I recall the excitement when our slide pack of Voyager 2′s encounter with Neptune turned up.

By: Chris A.

Chris A. — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:09:29 +0000

@vin rando (#12)
“how many kilometers across is earth ?”

12,756 at the equator. A wee bit less from pole to pole. So, roughly 1/9th the diameter of Saturn (not including the rings).

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:27:56 +0000

GEEPERS CREEPERS, GEEWIZ, ETC. RIGHT?

when I was a grad student in 1980 at UW-Madison, a professor excitedly brought into our class some crude voyager pictures of Jupiter or Saturn. Boy, we’ve come a long way, this new one is just unbelievable in resolution.

By: vin rando

vin rando — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:14:35 +0000

how many kilometers across is earth ?

By: The Immensity of Saturn | Suburban Men

The Immensity of Saturn | Suburban Men — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:20:23 +0000

[...] ➤ Discover Magazine Tweet [...]

By: Messier Tidy Upper

Messier Tidy Upper — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:25:27 +0000

That, plus the shadow of the rings on the southern hemisphere, make this one of my favorite pictures of Saturn I’ve seen in quite some time.

Mine too. Superluminous image. Just jaw-droppingly marvellous.

The sense of wonder and splendour this photo evokes is just stunning.

Thankyou Carolyn Porco, thankyou Cassini team & thankyou BA.

By: Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum

Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 02:35:19 +0000

But for me the coolest part of your image, Phil, is where at the far left the pencil-thin ring reappears after going off the edge of the image and then promptly goes behind the limb of Saturn.

All told, however, Saturn just can’t take a bad picture.

By: Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum

Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:46:25 +0000

How about APOD from the day before yesterday?
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120105.html
Now that’s why we need NASA & Carolyn Porco!

By: Tom Masterson

Tom Masterson — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:55:33 +0000

That’s no moon . . .

By: John Matthews

John Matthews — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:54:53 +0000

Deleted…

By: In the shadows of the giant « Lone Immortal

In the shadows of the giant « Lone Immortal — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:08:34 +0000

[...] The immensity of Saturn | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine. Spread love:TwitterFacebookLinkedInMoreRedditStumbleUponDiggEmailPrintLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]

By: Dr_cy_coe

Dr_cy_coe — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:48:39 +0000

Question: Is the picture stretched (horizontally) or are we seeing the effects of gravity & rotation when comparing the equatorial and polar radii of Saturn? I think it’s the latter, but then .. Wow..

By: peteuplink

peteuplink — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:38:45 +0000

What an amazing image! With Tethys also in shot it gives some idea of just how huge Saturn really is.

By: Larian LeQuella

Larian LeQuella — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:34:24 +0000

Tethys is over a thousand kilometrs across, AND it’s 294,660 kilometers CLOSER!

By: Gary

Gary — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:07:04 +0000

This image has the feel of some of the imaginative space art that accompanied science fiction stories in the 1950s … without the silly alien monsters, of course.