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.

                                2025 July 24
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                            Titan Shadow Transit
              Image Credit & [3]Copyright: Volodymyr Andrienko

   Explanation: [4]Every 15 years or so, Saturn's rings are tilted edge-on
   to our line of sight. As the bright, beautiful ring system grows
   narrower and fainter it becomes increasingly difficult to see for
   denizens of [5]planet Earth. But it does provide the opportunity to
   watch transits of Saturn's moons and their dark shadows across the
   ringed gas giant's still bright disk. Of course Saturn's largest
   [6]moon Titan is the easiest to spot in transit. In this telescopic
   snapshot from July 18, [7]Titan itself is at the upper left, casting a
   round dark shadow on Saturn's banded [8]cloudtops above the narrow
   rings. In fact [9]Titan's transit season is in full swing now with
   shadow transits every 16 days corresponding to the moon's orbital
   period. Its final shadow transit will be on October 6, though Titan's
   pale disk will continue to cross in front of Saturn as seen from
   telescopes on planet Earth every 16 days through January 25, 2026.

                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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    Authors & editors: [21]Robert Nemiroff ([22]MTU) & [23]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([24]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [25]Specific rights apply.
            [26]NASA Web Privacy, [27]Accessibility, [28]Notices;
                A service of: [29]ASD at [30]NASA / [31]GSFC,
                         [32]NASA Science Activation
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2507/SaturnJuly18_2025TitanShadowTransit1200.png
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090319.html
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241123.html
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/saturn/moons/titan/
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/webbs-titan-forecast-partly-cloudy-with-occasional-methane-showers/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170916.html
   9. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/observing-news/titan-shadow-transit-season-underway/
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250723.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  14. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  16. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  19. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250724
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250725.html
  21. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  24. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  26. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  29. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  32. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/