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The latest view of Saturn from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures exquisite details of the ringing system – resembling a phonograph record with grooves representing the detailed structure in the rings – and atmospheric details that could not previously be captured only by spaceships visiting the distant world. Hubble's wide-field camera 3 observed Saturn on June 20, 2019, as the planet was getting closer to Earth at a distance of about 845 million kilometers. This image is the second in an annual series of snapshots taken as part of the Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) project. OPAL helps scientists understand the atmospheric dynamics and evolution of giant gas planets in our solar system. In the case of Saturn, astronomers will be able to track changing weather conditions and other changes to identify trends.
Credit: NASA, ESA, Simon A. (GSFC), Mr. H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley) and the OPAL team
Hubble annual snapshots help astronomers monitor the ringed world
Saturn is so beautiful that astronomers can not resist the use of the Hubble Space Telescope to take annual snapshots of the ringed world when it is at its closest distance from the Earth.
These images, however, are more than just beauty pics. They reveal a planet with a turbulent and dynamic atmosphere. This year's Hubble offer, for example, shows that a major storm in Hubble's 2018 image in the North Polar Region has disappeared. Smaller storms appear like popcorn in a microwave oven before disappearing just as quickly. Even the striped structure of the planet reveals subtle changes of color.
This new view of Saturn from the Hubble Space Telescope, taken at the end of June 2019, reveals the iconic rings of the giant planet. The amber colors of Saturn come from summer clouds resembling smog, produced during photochemical reactions driven by solar ultraviolet radiation. Below the haze are clouds of ammonia ice crystals, as well as lower and invisible clouds of ammonium hydrosulfide and water.
The band structure of the planet is caused by winds and clouds at different altitudes. Hubble's wide-field camera 3 observed Saturn on June 20, 2019, as the planet was getting closer to Earth at a distance of about 845 million kilometers.
Credit: Goddard Space Flight Center of NASA
But the last picture shows a lot of things that have not changed. The mysterious six-sided motif, called "hexagon", still exists on the North Pole. Caused by a high-speed jet, the hexagon was first discovered in 1981 by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft.
The signature rings of Saturn are still breathtaking. The image reveals that the ring system is tilted towards the Earth, offering viewers a magnificent look at the glossy and glossy structure. Hubble solves many loops and weaker inner rings.
This image reveals unprecedented clarity, seen previously only in snapshots taken by a NASA spacecraft visiting a distant planet. Astronomers will continue their annual monitoring of the planet to monitor changing weather conditions and identify other changes. Second in the annual series, this image is part of the OPAL project (Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy). OPAL helps scientists understand the atmospheric dynamics and evolution of giant gas planets in our solar system.
This accelerated Hubble film shows the orbits of some of Saturn's frozen moons as they circle the planet over an 18-hour period. The video is composed of 33 Hubble snapshots of the planet, taken from June 19 to 20, 2019, by the wide-field camera 3. The closer the moon is to Saturn, the faster it turns into orbit, according to the laws of gravity.
Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), Mr. H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley), the OPAL team and J. DePasquale (STScI)
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