Saturn and its Moons

 

A compilation widefield images of the gas giant planet Saturn and five of its moons on the 8th of September 2012. Images taken with 127mm Meade Apo Refractor, x3 Barlow lens and a QHY5l-11 colour video camera. Credit: Pip Stakkert.

" Imaging Saturn remains difficult as the planet is very low on our southern horizon in Lowestoft. The location of the moons: Titan, Dione and Rhea was easy to achieve but Tethys and Enceladus, being close and therefore lost in the glare from Saturn, required the position of the moons to be estimated using planetarium software. Saturn is probably one of the most beautiful astronomical objects to be viewed through the eyepiece of a telescope." - Karl Seguine Community Outreach Coordinator at the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

The Saturnian System

Saturn with 5 of its larger moons on the 25th May 2017 - Composite of two images taken with a DSLR and a high speed planetary video camera whch were later merged together using specialist software.

"The Cassini Spacecraft is somewhere in this image but far too small and dim to see through any telescope. The Cassini Spacecraft was launched in 1997 and has been exploring  the Saturnian System since 2004. It has been an immensely successful scientific project gaining unknown insights into its moons, rings and atmosphere.

 Cassini Top Ten Scientific Highlights

 Science Overview

Cassini in orbit around Saturn - Graphic credit : NASA-JPL

Cassini is travelling currently at a speed of 19,000 mph relative to Saturn and as it runs out of fuel for adjusting its orbit after 19 years in space, it has commenced a series of planned orbits that take it inside the rings and close over the cloud tops of Saturn itself.  Its orbit will decay and in September of this year, Cassini will disappear within the clouds to be crushed out of existence by Saturn's atmospheric pressure.  Every inch of the way, the Cassini Spacecraft's instruments will be recording new information and beaming it back to Earth.

For me Cassini's greatest discovery was the subterranean sea on the moon Enceladus." Credit Kurt Thrust - current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory 

Enceladus Subsurface Ocean 

 'Enceladus is ripe for life. In one final pass through the icy moon’s liquid plumes, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft found molecular hydrogen, which indicates favourable conditions for life in Enceladus’s subsurface sea.' Credit: New Scientist

Saturn with its retinue of moons tiny amongst the starfield in the Constellation Sagittarius - Image taken with the 127mm. Meade Apo- Refractor from the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

 " The Cassini project is a NASA ESA joint scientific exploration of the Saturnian System. It is a wonderful example of cooperation between scientists and intellectuals in the United States of America and Europe. We do it not because its easy but because we choose to.  Curiosity, brains, cooperation, compassion and the pioneering can do spirit define our species. So lets keep doing great stuff together and turn our backs on ignorance, xenophobia, pseudo-science, bullshit and hatred." Credit: Kurt Thrust - current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.