APOD: 2026 June 1 – Saturn at Night
Discover the cosmos!
Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2026 June 1
Saturn at Night
Image Credit:
NASA,
JPL-Caltech,
Space Science Institute,
Mindaugas Macijauskas
Explanation:
Telescopic views of Saturn and its beautiful rings
often make it the star of
star
parties.
But this stunning view of the outer gas gaint planet’s rings and night side
just isn’t possible from telescopes in the vicinity of planet Earth.
Peering out from the inner Solar System they can only bring
Saturn’s day side into view.
In fact, this image of Saturn’s slender sunlit crescent
with the planet’s night shadow cast across its broad and complex ring system
was captured by the robot spacecraft Cassini.
After a seven year long journey from planet Earth,
Cassini called Saturn orbit home for 13 years (from 2004 – 2017)
before it was directed to dive into the atmosphere of the gas giant on
September 15, 2017.
This
magnificent mosaic
is composed of frames recorded
by Cassini’s
wide-angle camera only two days before its
grand final plunge.
And Saturn’s night will not be seen again until
another spaceship
from Earth calls.
Tomorrow’s picture: star debris
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Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
NASA Official: Amber Straughn
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