Category: Saturn

Saturn’s Rings Are Glowing in Webb Space Telescope’s Latest Cosmic Shot

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—Saturn has a fresh new look thanks to NASA’s Webb Space Telescope. The gas giant is dark in the latest photo by Webb, released Friday, but its icy rings are glowing. Webb snapped the picture in the infrared last weekend. At this wavelength, the planet appears dark because sunlight is absorbed by methane…


Saturn’s Icy Moon Enceladus Harbors Essential Elements for Life

High concentrations of phosphorus, an essential element for all biological processes on Earth, have been detected in ice crystals spewed from the interior ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, adding to its potential to harbor life, researchers reported on Wednesday. The discovery was based on data collected by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, the first to orbit Saturn,…


‘New Era in Space Exploration’: Scientists React to New Webb Images

Astronomers and scientists around the world have been reacting to newly released images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, with one declaring a “new era in space exploration.” The pictures reveal the splendors of the universe, from baby stars to far off galaxies. The unveiling from the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope began on…


Extraordinary Planet Alignment Seen in Hong Kong Early Morning Sky

At Hong Kong time 4:47 a.m. on June 24, 2022, reporters observed a rare astronomical phenomenon of “eight-planet alignment” at the East Dam, Saigon, Hong Kong. Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn could be clearly seen with naked eye, and the “five-planet alignment” could also be clearly photographed by cell phones, but Uranus…


25 Years Ago the Cassini Spacecraft Set Off on a Journey to Saturn in October 1997

Launched a quarter of a century ago on 15 October 1997, the Cassini spacecraft spent 13 years exploring Saturn. The only spacecraft to ever orbit Saturn, Cassini showed scientists the planet, its rings, and moons up close in all their splendour. In all, Cassini collected more than 453,000 images and travelled 4.9 billion miles. Cassini…


Photographer Captures a Breathtaking Image of the ‘Moon Dressed Like Saturn’

This breathtaking image has captured a new perspective of the moon, making it appear like its distant neighbor Saturn. Photographer Francisco Sojuel took the stunning photo from the base camp of volcano Acatenango, Guatemala, before sunrise on Dec. 24, 2019, after a six-hour hike. In the picture, clouds are formed around the moon which makes…


Jupiter, Saturn ‘Merge’ in Night Sky, Closest in Centuries

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Jupiter and Saturn will merge in the night sky Monday, appearing closer to one another than they have since Galileo’s time in the 17th century. Astronomers say so-called conjunctions between the two largest planets in our solar system aren’t particularly rare. Jupiter passes its neighbor Saturn in their respective laps around the…


Jupiter, Saturn ‘Merge’ in Night Sky in Rare Celestial Event

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—Jupiter and Saturn will merge in the night sky Monday, appearing closer to one another than they have since Galileo’s time in the 17th century. Astronomers say so-called conjunctions between the two largest planets in our solar system aren’t particularly rare. Jupiter passes its neighbor Saturn in their respective laps around the sun every 20…


‘Christmas Star,’ the Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn Visible Tonight

EDMONTON—A rare celestial event is making an already unique holiday season even more unusual, as what’s been dubbed the “Christmas Star” is set to appear over Canada on Monday evening, brighter than it’s been in nearly eight centuries. It’s not really a star at all—it’s a convergence of Jupiter and Saturn—but because of their close…