These are the Most Incredible Photos Shot by NASA’s Cassini Probe

Michael Zhang

spaceprobe

NASA’s New Horizons probe dazzled the world with a detailed photo of Pluto today, but another probe has been beaming back stunning shots of space for over a decade already. The Cassini space probe has captured its fair share of eye-popping photos since launching in 1997 and arriving in Saturn’s orbit in 2004.

Here’s a collection of some of Cassini’s most remarkable photographs. Many of them were compiled by Reddit user I_Say_I_Say, and others were featured here before or obtained from NASA’s website:

Saturn passing in front of the Sun. A color-exaggerated image that combines 165 images taken over 3 hours.
Saturn passing in front of the Sun. A color-exaggerated image that combines 165 images taken over 3 hours. [#]
Saturn's gradation and rings. [#]
Saturn’s gradation and rings. [#]
A photo of Saturn during an equinox. [#]
A photo of Saturn during an equinox.
Three of Saturn’s moons (Titan, Mimas, and Rhea) captured in a single photo. [#]
An electrical storm on the surface of Saturn. [#]
A long-lived electrical storm on the surface of Saturn. [#]
Four moons huddling around Saturn's rings. [#]
Four moons huddling around Saturn’s rings. [#]
Saturn casting a shadow on its rings. [#]
Saturn casting a shadow on its rings. [#]
Saturn's moon Rhea hovering in front of Saturn's largest moon, Titan.
Saturn’s moon Rhea hovering in front of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.
Saturn's rings glowing in scattered sunlight. [#]
Saturn’s rings glowing in scattered sunlight. [#]
Saturn overexposed to bring out details in its rings. [#]
Saturn overexposed to bring out details in its rings. [#]
Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. [#]
Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus. [#]
Saturn casting its shadow on its rings.
Saturn casting its shadow on its rings.
A storm on the north pole of Saturn.
A storm on the north pole of Saturn.
Saturn and its moon Titan
Saturn and its moon Titan
Saturn's rings cut across an eerie scene that is ruled by Titan's luminous crescent and globe-encircling haze, broken by the small moon Enceladus, whose icy jets are dimly visible at its south pole. North is up.
Saturn’s rings cutting across the moon Titan, which hovers behind the shadow of the smaller moon Enceladus. [#]
Saturn, its rings, and its moon Dione. [#]
A massive storm stretching across the surface of the planet.
A massive storm stretching across the surface of the planet.
Earth seen as a pale blue dot under Saturn's rings.
Earth seen as a pale blue dot under Saturn’s rings.

You can find a massive collection of Cassini’s photos in the mission gallery on NASA’s website.

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