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Credit & Copyright: R. G. French
(Wellesley
College)
et al.,
Hubble Heritage
Team (AURA /
STScI /
NASA)
Explanation:
Since Saturn's
axis is tilted as it orbits the
Sun,
Saturn has seasons, like those of planet Earth ...
but Saturn's seasons last for over seven years.
So
what season is it on Saturn now?
Orbiting the equator, the tilt of the
rings
of Saturn provides quite a graphic seasonal display.
In fact, this month, Saturn's rings will reach their most "open"
angle after appearing
nearly edge on in the mid-1990s.
The ringed planet
is also well placed in
evening skies
providing a grand view as summer comes to Saturn's southern
hemisphere and winter to the north.
The Hubble Space Telescope took the above
sequence
of images about a year apart, starting on the
left in 1996 and ending on the right in 2000.
Although they look solid, Saturn's Rings are likely
less than 50 meters
thick and
consist of individually
orbiting bits of ice and rock ranging in size from grains
of sand to barn-sized boulders.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Saturn - Saturn rings - seasons
Publications with words: Saturn - Saturn rings - seasons
See also: