Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2026 June 1
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                               Saturn at Night
     Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]JPL-Caltech, [5]Space Science Institute,
                          [6]Mindaugas Macijauskas

   Explanation: Telescopic views of Saturn and its beautiful rings often
   make it the star of [7]star parties. But this stunning view of the
   outer gas gaint planet's rings and night side just isn't possible from
   telescopes in the vicinity of planet Earth. Peering out from the inner
   Solar System they can only bring [8]Saturn's day side into view. In
   fact, this image of Saturn's slender sunlit crescent with the planet's
   night shadow cast across its broad and complex ring system was captured
   by the robot spacecraft Cassini. After a seven year long journey from
   planet Earth, Cassini called Saturn orbit home for 13 years (from 2004
   - 2017) before it was directed to dive into the atmosphere of the gas
   giant on September 15, 2017. [9]This magnificent mosaic is composed of
   frames recorded [10]by Cassini's wide-angle camera only two days before
   its [11]grand final plunge. And Saturn's night will not be seen again
   until [12]another spaceship from Earth calls.

                       Tomorrow's picture: star debris
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    Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([27]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply.
            [29]NASA Web Privacy, [30]Accessibility, [31]Notices;
                A service of: [32]ASD at [33]NASA / [34]GSFC,
                         [35]NASA Science Activation
                           & [36]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2605/LastRingPortrait_Cassini_4472.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   5. https://www.spacescience.org/index.php
   6. https://www.flickr.com/photos/m_macijauskas/
   7. https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/clubs-and-events.cfm
   8. https://spacetelescope.org/news/heic1917/
   9. https://www.flickr.com/photos/m_macijauskas/23826951188/
  10. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17218
  11. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/the-journey/the-grand-finale/
  12. https://www.nasa.gov/dragonfly
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260531.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  19. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  22. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260601
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260602.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  32. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  35. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  36. http://www.mtu.edu/