Categories: Saturn

Saturn’s Rings in Blue

I thought I’d highlight this recent Cassini image of Saturn, it’s just so cool looking. What you’re seeing is a view of Saturn from high above the planet’s northern latitudes, providing nearly a full view of the main rings, from the C ring to the A ring.

Why are the rings blue? Cassini captured this image in three different wavelengths of infrared light, and then they were matched on computer to the colours red, green and blue. So, this isn’t what you’d see with your eyes, but it helps reveal subtle differences on the planet and its rings.

The image was captured on April 5, 2007 when Cassini was approximately 1.4 million kilometers (900,000 miles) from Saturn.

Original Source: NASA/JPL/SSI News Release

Fraser Cain

Fraser Cain is the publisher of Universe Today. He's also the co-host of Astronomy Cast with Dr. Pamela Gay. Here's a link to my Mastodon account.

Recent Posts

The Early Universe May Have Had Giant Batteries of Dust

The largest magnetic fields in the universe may have found themselves charged up when the…

4 hours ago

The First Close-Up Picture of Star Outside the Milky Way

Like a performer preparing for their big finale, a distant star is shedding its outer…

19 hours ago

Here’s What We Know About Earth’s Temporary Mini-Moon

For a little over a month now, the Earth has been joined by a new…

20 hours ago

New Study Suggests Black Holes Get their “Hair” from their Mothers

Despite decades of study, black holes are still one of the most puzzling objects in…

21 hours ago

Gaze at New Pictures of the Sun from Solar Orbiter

74 million kilometres is a huge distance from which to observe something. But 74 million…

21 hours ago

Are Fast Radio Bursts Caused by Interstellar Objects Crashing Into Neutron Stars?

Astronomers have only been aware of fast radio bursts for about two decades. These are…

1 day ago