And that's why I love this Saturn shot from Cassini. Taken from high above the plane of the rings, Saturn is a little more than half full. The rings appear darker than usual, and that's because on the day before this picture was taken, Saturn experienced its spring equinox. That means the rings were pointed edge-onto the Sun. Instead of the sunlight falling on the rings, illuminating them, it was hitting the edge. So the rings appear dark, and with Saturn half-lit the way it is, this picture is more brooding than most cheery, well-lit pictures of the ringed planet. Sure, the famous shot of the back-lit planet with the Earth peeking between the rings is more famous, but this one has a depth and a color to it that really appeals to me.

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Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute