Ten best pictures of Cassini-2013

The work of the Cassini apparatus in the near -Social orbit is important twice. Firstly, the probe brings a lot of scientific information, which allows you to learn a lot not only about the ringed planet and its satellites, but also about how our solar system was formed as a whole. And, secondly, the regular publication of new amazing photographs from distant space serves to popularize scientific knowledge. Each year, employees working with the spacecraft choose two dozens: 10 best photos and the 10 most significant scientific results of Cassini. In this issue, the TRV-hobby offers your attention the first ten, and we will publish a top of scientific results two weeks later.

So, the most successful pictures of Cassini in 2013.

1. This image is in size 9 thousand pixels on the long side. In addition to Saturn and the rings in the control light (the sun closes with Saturn), the picture also visible a lot of other things: Venus, Mars, Earth, satellites of Janus, Mimas, Epimetei, Entzelad with geysers, Prometheus and Tefi, thin rings associated with the satellites of Pallen and Janus. By the way, this seems to be the first photo from such a distance in which both the Earth and the Moon are visible.

2. This picture represents part of the shooting presented in the first picture. If the eyes are just scattering in the first frame, then our own planet is more largely visible here.

3. The picture placed at number three is taken in artificial colors, since it is obtained in the infrared range. On it - images of lakes in the polar region of the largest satellite of Saturn: Titan. The lakes are filled with liquid methane, and orange areas are an analogue of salt lakes on the ground.

They are organic substances that were once dissolved in methane lakes remaining after evaporating them.

4. And this is not a photograph at all, but a map. Map of the Northern Hemisphere of Titan. Blue are the same lakes that were discussed in paragraph 3. True, they are unlikely to actually have blue.

5. And this is a general view of Saturn from the north. Infrequently, Cassini flies over Saturn, but the view is stunning: as if a giant brooch on the black velvet of the dress of the solar system.

6. And again the North Pole of Saturn. The hexagonal steady whirlwind at the pole, for years retaining its shape at a speed of 98 m/s, cannot but attract.

7. Hurricanes on Saturn are not at all that on Earth. Diameter - 2 thousand km, speed - 150 m/s. And the photo is appropriate.

8. Ice and flame. Ray and Titan. The main thing for the photographer is to choose the right moment. Cassini is no exception.

9. Do you think volcanoes are only on planets? Nothing of the kind! Here you have a mini-jet, representing the dust from the “nucleus” of the thin ring F. The reason, most likely, is a clash of large particles of the ring at low speed.

10. Well, that we are all about the north and north ... North Pole of Titan, the North Pole of Saturn. Here you have the South Pole. There is no hexagonal hurricane, but it is still very beautiful!

Alexey Paevsky