Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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.

                                 2020 May 27

                    Earth and Moon through Saturn's Rings
      Image Credit: NASA, ESA, JPL-Caltech, SSI, Cassini Imaging Team;
                     Processing & License: Kevin M. Gill

   Explanation: What are those dots between Saturn's rings? Our Earth and
   Moon. Just over three years ago, because the Sun was temporarily
   blocked by the body of Saturn, the robotic Cassini spacecraft was able
   to look toward the inner Solar System. There, it spotted our Earth and
   Moon -- just pin-pricks of light lying about 1.4 billion kilometers
   distant. Toward the right of the featured image is Saturn's A ring,
   with the broad Encke Gap on the far right and the narrower Keeler Gap
   toward the center. On the far left is Saturn's continually changing F
   Ring. From this perspective, the light seen from Saturn's rings was
   scattered mostly forward , and so appeared backlit. After more than a
   decade of exploration and discovery, the Cassini spacecraft ran low on
   fuel in 2017 and was directed to enter Saturn's atmosphere, where it
   surely melted.

    Gallery: Notable Venus & Mercury Conjunction 2020 Images submitted to
                                    APOD
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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