Picture This – Page 66 – Astronomy Now

Mimas by Saturnshine

14 April 2015 Astronomy Now

Although we are used to seeing Saturn’s moons lit directly by the Sun, sometimes we can catch them illuminated by “Saturnshine.”

On 15th March, a coronal mass ejection from the Sun launched a torrent of charged particles in the direction of Earth. The gaseous cloud collided with our planet’s magnetic field two days later, generating this glorious, shimmering auroral curtain over Iceland photographed by Carlos Gauna.

Getting close to Iapetus

8 April 2015 Astronomy Now

This two-tone, almost yin-yang like image of Iapetus, Saturn’s third largest moon, is the view Cassini was privilege to when it did its second closest approach of the satellite earlier this year.

Celebrating Hubble: Mystic Mountain

5 April 2015 Astronomy Now

Looking like a Tolkienesque painting by John Howe or Alan Lee, this pillar of dust in the Carina Nebula (called the Mystic Mountain) is being assaulted from without and within.

Cassini gets our best view yet of Saturn’s moon Rhea

30 March 2015 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Cassini probe has entered a new series of orbits which bring it close to Saturn’s icy moons. It has already captured the highest resolution view yet of Rhea, Saturn’s second largest moon.

A dramatic starscape in the Southern Hemisphere

29 March 2015 Astronomy Now

This view in the southern constellation of Ara (The Altar) is a treasure trove of celestial objects. Star clusters, emission nebulae and active star-forming regions are just some of the riches observed in this region lying some 4000 light-years from Earth.

Getting into the groove of Saturn’s rings

18 March 2015 Astronomy Now

In this image from the Cassini probe orbiting Saturn we see that there are varied structures in the planet’s rings at almost every scale imaginable.

Space station crew returns to Earth

12 March 2015 Astronomy Now

NASA photographer Bill Ingalls captured some stunning views of a Soyuz capsule returning to Earth bringing home a space station crew.

NASA spacecraft nears historic arrival at dwarf planet Ceres

2 March 2015 Astronomy Now

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has returned new images captured on approach to entering orbit around Ceres on Friday, March 6th — the first mission to successfully visit a dwarf planet.

Ceres looming large in Dawn’s camera

25 February 2015 Astronomy Now

These views of dwarf planet Ceres were taken on 19 February from a distance of about 46,000 kilometres (29,000 miles) by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft. Dawn observed Ceres completing one full rotation, which lasted about nine hours to capture both sides of this minor body.