NASA often shares space pictures and videos on its social media handle which usually leaves netizens mesmerised. The space agency occasionally offers stunning images taken by various telescopes and spacecraft as well. This time too, it uploaded a mindblowing image captured by the Cassini spacecraft which featured not just Saturn but also its iconic rings.
"Sometimes called the jewel of the solar system, Saturn is not the only planet with rings; however, its rings are the most complex and prominent of our solar system," the American space agency wrote in the caption of the post, adding, "The rings are thought to be pieces of comets, asteroids, or shattered moons torn apart by the massive gas planet's gravity."
Take a look at the images below:
The image, which was captured by the Cassini spacecraft in 2012, showed a glorious view of Saturn while the spacecraft was in its shadow. As per NASA, the cameras were turned toward Saturn and the sun so that the planet and rings are backlit. The picture was taken using infrared, red and violet spectral filters which were combined to create this enhanced-colour view, the space agency said.
NASA shared the stunning picture on Friday and since then the post has accumulated more than 1.5 million likes and thousands of comments. While some users called the image "unrealistic," others called it "magnificent".
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"Space is so fascinating," wrote one user. "What a great cosmic photograph," said another. A third commented, "Saturn will never stop looking like a AI generated picture to me until I see it with my own eyes. What a strange, stunning looking planet." A fourth added, "Such a beautiful picture."
Meanwhile, the Cassini spacecraft bid farewell to the galaxy on September 15, 2017. The probe - a joint effort of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency - was launched in 1997 and delivered unprecedented looks at the ringed planet and its many moons during its mission lifespan.
