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Explanation: A new spacecraft has entered the outer Solar System: Cassini. Launched in 1997 and bound for Saturn in 2004, Cassini sent back the above image last week while approaching the giant planet Jupiter. Cassini joins the Galileo spacecraft currently in orbit around Jupiter in studying the gas giant and its moons. In fact, observations involving both spacecraft simultaneously are planned in the coming months. This color picture was taken when Cassini was 81.3 million kilometers from Jupiter. The alternating dark and bright bands characteristic of Jupiter's cloud tops can be easily seen. Jupiter's moon Europa is also seen at the far right of the image casting a round shadow on the planet.
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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: Jupiter - spacecraft - cassini spacecraft
Publications with words: Jupiter - spacecraft - cassini spacecraft
See also:
- APOD: 2026 January 20 Á Io in True Color
- APOD: 2026 January 18 Á Jupiter from the Webb Space Telescope
- APOD: 2026 January 6 Á Jupiters Clouds in High Definition from Juno
- NanoSail D2
- Apollo 17 s Moonship
- APOD: 2025 November 11 Á Jupiter in Ultraviolet from Hubble
- APOD: 2025 December 14 Á Juno Flyby of Ganymede and Jupiter