NickKad
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NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has entered its “ring-grazing” phase as it approaches the planet’s icy orbiters. As part of its mission, the craft has transmitted images of the rings at twice the resolution that humans have even been able to achieve previously. Details as small as 550 meters, or a few hundred feet smaller than earth’s tallest building, are visible in the photos.
Saturn’s Outer B Ring
Saturn’s A Ring
A Density Wave In Saturn’s A Ring
(see full resolution photos here: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/close-views-show-saturns-rings-in-unprecedented-detail ).
Roostar
I love kt
DammitRandy
They probably just put a piece of spaghetti under a microscope, and now are all just laughing at us..
ASpecialKindOfIdiot
But Oryx is down there!
SeeUNextTues
"Details as small as 550 meters"
sororBudWiser
What are the rings made up of, and how do the rings have perfect concentric lines?
SeeTheNumbersTasteTheViolence
If you scan #2 you get 2 for 1 at walmart!
double0seventy
C-can we see Saturn's O Ring?
niceguyted
Yup. That's exactly what I was going to comment. Glad I checked first.
AllTimeAverage
Sick bro
MyPatronusIsVernonDursley
This is what we need to see more of. Awesome post
NickKad
VektreX
That vinyl record looks dirty, you should clean it.
Stuey1221
Aren't they only a few meters thick?
ffilm
Main rings are about 10 meters thick, but in some places they're up to a couple kilometers.
IwishKimPinewasmygirlfriend
You should see the density waves coming from my a ring
neil137
why are space photos always bigfoot quality? launch some go pros from the satellite with wireless signals
melchiah13
Why are the pictures time lapsed. (The stars in the background are streaking = time lapsed photo)
JoelGeere
Any one put some scale into these , even if a banana isn't enough ?
JoelGeere
And/or colour ?
BlueFuryTheFoxy
I honestly thought there'd be a dickbutt somewhere
joekerr1995
I thought this was a door frame
Dodecaphonist
#3 "The view contains many small, bright blemishes due to cosmic rays and charged particle radiation near the planet." From the article.
Quebeker
TY
awesomechicken
jazzybear
If I remember correctly, Apollo astronauts also reported the same phenomena happening with their eyes.
Flyndaran
Our eyes are evolved to detect electromagnetic radiation after all. Not at dozens of mega-electron volts per particle, of course.
SexyClaptrap
So my dad got to work on Cassini and that's just the coolest thing to me.
kidaverdoo
Someone should print that on a record..could be nasa's theme song!
redbikemaster
I'd post a pic of my Saturn's rings, but I've not taken the engine that far apart.
brookebytheway
Homer? Are you there?
quantfysik
I got that reference!
00110001001001111010000110110110011
The crown jewel of the solar system.
hmcd2008
I don't science, but this is amazing
1UP2
The amount of dust is fucking insane someone needs to tell god to clean the mess he left there shit is fucking horrible.
Azjsy
From the comments there is ice and dust. This falls onto the planet. Does this mean ice=water=possible life. Or is this a different ice?
TheDarkNerd
Honestly, I can't really look it up right now, but from my understanding it's too cold for the ice to be water, and the atmosphere is. . .
TheDarkNerd
well, it's weird. It just keeps getting denser the further down you go.
Erkhyan
Keep in mind that, in astronomical terms, “ice” often means methane, ammonia, nitrous oxide, other similar compounds, and only rarely water.
xmaneds
If you zoom in close, you can see Oryx's Dreadnaught http://www.gaming-age.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Destiny_TTK_saturn_orbit_021.jpg
Bdzzp1
Wait what? None of those words make any sense. Why is there a spaceship in saturn's ring in that picture.
TheBestRussian
The answer you seek is Destiny.
Stuey1221
Beat me too it
ReturnWinchester
Neat, whats it from/in reference to?
strbryjam
The video game Destiny
DoctorWhoots420
Oh man I love Saturn, if it didn't already have a ring, I'd put one on it
PunteDai
How do i know this is not a close-up of a door frame?
duncan5wan
I still think Uranus is a better ring to put one in. ????
DoctorWhoots420
thecolonels
How? You lack the time, technology, and resources to place the approptiate body into orbit within the roche limit.
DoctorWhoots420
Just accept my love this beauty
NickKad
LillyVixen
This is, in my opinion, the most beautiful photo ever taken. Don't tell my wife.
The blue dot is Earth.
DoctorWhoots420
It almost looks like it's fake. What a beaut.
Doomsday321
But if there wasn't a ring on it now, would you still love it enough to put a ring on it?
DoctorWhoots420
It's whats on the inside that counts... Gas lol
MrGinger042
I want to know what it would sound like if played on a record player.
CrabCaek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhonQGHFG44
Loohooserherr
Oh man that's an interesting idea. I'm sure it can be done. Maybe with a 3D printer?
bigbrother1334
Here ya go... https://youtu.be/efSpYGHxqus?t=253
pirre
@MrGinger042 haha, I was thinking exactly that as I was scrolling through the pictures :D
jseel3030
The dust in the rings is also continuously falling to the planets surface. They formed a mountain Ridge that spans its circumference.
samsonguy920
It's a GAS GIANT.
TwoHookersAndAnEightball
Saturn's moon Enceladus is actually aiding in construction of the E-ring around Saturn through ejection of cryovolcanic water vapour too.
kalimakalimaaa
You have been doing more than banging hoors and snorting blow on the weekends
rbudrick
Um.gonna need a sauce on this. We have never seen Saturn's surface.
jseel3030
I took a course in planetary geology for my undergrad physics degree in college. I textbook with pics but I'm way to drunk to post it now.
samsonguy920
Yes, please share the planetary geology of a gas giant with us.
Majordissapointment
Dot
jseel3030
I will post pics tomorrow with sources.
BendersCasino
Real science dot
TheBestRussian
I would love to see that. Thanks in advance for the effort. Please kindly reply so I can see it!
ffilm
I think he might mean a mountain ridge on Iapetus, there *is* one there. I don't believe we're able to determine one on Saturn's surface.
samsonguy920
What surface, pray tell?
ffilm
Well, yeah, there's no solid surface. I should have said we probably can't determine any features.
ffilm
Well, yeah, there's no solid surface. I should have said we probably can't determine any features.