PHOTO: Incredible New Image Of Saturn As It Would Be Seen By Human Eyes

In this natural color mosaic image provided by NASA Tuesday Nov. 12, 2013 shows Saturn eclipsing the Sun taken by the Cassini spacecraft on July 19, 2013. With both Cassini's wide-angle and narrow-angle cameras aimed... In this natural color mosaic image provided by NASA Tuesday Nov. 12, 2013 shows Saturn eclipsing the Sun taken by the Cassini spacecraft on July 19, 2013. With both Cassini's wide-angle and narrow-angle cameras aimed at Saturn, Cassini was able to capture 323 images in just over four hours. This final mosaic uses 141 of those wide-angle images. This image spans about 404,880 miles (651,591 kilometers) across. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

NASA released an image of Saturn this week it described as the first-ever portrait of the ringed planet to include its moons, Earth, Venus and Mars all in the same stunning shot.

The imaging team of NASA’s Cassini spacecraft worked with 141 wide-angle images that together sweep 404,880 miles across Saturn to create the natural-color panorama “as it would be seen by human eyes,” according to a statement from NASA.

322458

The images were taken from a distance of about 746,000 miles, and each pixel represents 45 miles of Saturn’s terrain, according to NASA.

The picture combines images taken with Cassini’s red, green and blue spectral filters; NASA describes the result as a “natural-color view.” But there are enhancements to make things easier to see. Earth, Mars and Venus are 8.5 times brighter than Saturn, as are the Saturnian moons Enceladus, Epimetheus and Pandora. Tethys, another moon, is four times brighter.

The image marks only the third time Earth has been photographed from the outer solar system. The first time was in 1990, when Voyager 1 took the now-iconic “pale blue dot” image of Earth from beyond Neptune’s orbit. The second time was in 2006, when Cassini took a picture of Earth as a blue point of light between Saturn’s rings.

Fo more information about what can be seen in the new Cassini image (where each of its moons are visible, for example) check out NASA’s detailed breakdown here.

Latest Idealab
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: