                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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 16
   Saturn is shown up close with its ring plane running up diagonally from
      the lower right. Two small moons are visible. Near the top of the
   planet are large dark bands that are shadows of the rings onto Saturn's
    cloud tops. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

               Moons, Rings, Shadows, Clouds: Saturn (Cassini)
          Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, Space Science Institute

   Explanation: While cruising around Saturn, be on the lookout for
   picturesque arrangements of moons, rings, and shadows. One such
   striking sight occurred in 2005 and was captured by the then
   Saturn-orbiting Cassini spacecraft. In the featured image, moons Mimas
   (left) and Tethys (right) are visible on either side of Saturn's thin
   rings, which are seen nearly edge-on. Across the top of Saturn are dark
   shadows of the wide rings, exhibiting their impressive complexity. The
   violet-light image brings up the texture of the backdrop: Saturn's
   clouds. Cassini orbited Saturn from 2004 until mid-2017, when the
   robotic spacecraft was directed to dive into Saturn to keep it from
   contaminating any moons.

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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

