Saturn: Astonishing images captured by Cassini during the 2008 equinox

NASA. Perfect close-up view of the disk of the planet Saturn. As Saturn advances in its orbit towards equinox, and the Sun moves progressively north of the planet, the shifting shadows of Saturn's rings and the changing colors of its atmosphere continue to transform the face of Saturn as seen by Cassini. This captivating natural-color view was created from images collected shortly after the start of Cassini's extended mission at equinox in July 2008. It can be compared with earlier images from the spacecraft's four-year main mission, which show the shadow of Saturn's rings first draped over the planet's northern hemisphere, then moving south as boreal summer turns to spring. During this period, the colors of the northern hemisphere change from azure blue to a multitude of muted bands. :This mosaic combines 30 images, 10 each of red, green and blue light, taken over a period of around two hours when Cassini scanned the entire planet and ring system with its wide-angle camera on July 23, 2008.