Just released: two spellbinding images of Venus as photographed from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft (which, you’ll recall, is all the way out in the Saturnian system). You’ll want to check these out in hi-res, because good grief are they gorgeous.
The images provide downright stunning proof that Venus, well known for shining brightly in our own planet’s night sky, is still pretty damn visible even in Saturn’s neck of the Solar System.
Images and captions via CICLOPS
Morning Star | Dawn on Saturn is greeted across the vastness of interplanetary space by the morning star, Venus. Venus appears just off the edge of the planet, directly above Saturn’s G ring in this image. Lower down, Saturn’s E ring makes an appearance, looking blue thanks to the scattering properties of the dust that comprises the ring. [Ed.: Venus is the upper bright spot; the other white dot, near the E ring, is a distant star.]
Earth’s Twin Seen From Saturn | Peering over the shoulder of giant Saturn, through its rings, and across interplanetary space, Cassini spies the white, cloudy terrestrial planet, Venus.
More details and hi-res images at CICLOPS.
