Saturn ring-plane crossing

This sequence of images from the Hubble Space Telescope documents a rare astronomical alignment -- Saturn's magnificent ring system turned edge-on. This occurs when the Earth passes through Saturn's ring plane, as it does approximately every 15 years.

Credit:

Amanda S. Bosh (Lowell Observatory), Andrew S. Rivkin (Univ. of Arizona/LPL), the HST High Speed Photometer Instrument Team (R.C. Bless, PI), and NASA/ESA

About the Image

NASA press release
Id:opo9525b
Type:Collage
Release date:5 June 1995, 06:00
Size:416 x 541 px

About the Object

Name:Dione, Saturn, Tethys
Type:Solar System : Planet : Satellite
Solar System : Planet : Ring
Category:Solar System

Image Formats

r.titleLarge JPEG
38.2 KB
r.titleScreensize JPEG
110.9 KB

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Infrared
Methane
892 nm Hubble Space Telescope
WFPC2

Also see our


Privacy policy Accelerated by CDN77