The Cassini spacecraft has provided an unprecedented look at Saturn and its rings and moons since its arrival in the planet’s orbit in 2004, The images and other data returned by Cassini and its Titan probe Huygens have revealed surprising details in Saturn’s atmospheric storms, the structure of its rings, the intricate geologic patterns on its moons and even present-day geologic activity on the moon Enceladus. “Spectacular Saturn: Images from the Cassini-Huygens Mission,” an exhibition of more than 60 views of the Saturn system ranging from sober grayscale to bright vibrant colors, opens Feb. 2.
The spectrum of colors is partially real and partially artificial and paints the Saturn system as an artistic collage. Humans perceive light in wavelengths corresponding to the visible spectrum of colors in a rainbow, but there are many other wavelengths that humans cannot see such as radio, infrared, ultraviolet and X-rays. Saturn and its orbiting moons reflect these different wavelengths of light in different ways that yield information about the texture and composition of their surfaces. Cassini’s cameras often capture many images of the same subject, each in a different wavelength. In order to see and interpret the data as images, scientists often assign every wavelength a “false” color. These wavelengths are often rendered as shades of gray or bright reds, greens and blues, which are vividly represented in the exhibit. Scientists also use high-contrast colors and image sharpening to highlight fine details.
This exhibit is presented at the National Air and Space Museum courtesy of NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The National Air and Space Museum building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. The museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Va., near Washington Dulles International Airport. Both facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25.) Admission is free, but there is a $12 fee for parking at the Udvar-Hazy Center.
This false-color image is part of the "Spectacular Images of Saturn" exhibition on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Mall building.
This false-color mosaic of Saturn shows deep-level clouds silhouetted against Saturn's glowing interior. The image was made with data from Cassini's visual and infrared mapping spectrometer, which can image the planet at 352 different wavelengths.
PIA08732
This image is part of the "Spectacular Images of Saturn" exhibition on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Mall building.
While cruising around Saturn in early October 2004, Cassini captured a series of images that have been composed into the largest, most detailed, global natural color view of Saturn and its rings ever made.
This grand mosaic consists of 126 images acquired in a tile-like fashion, covering one end of Saturn's rings to the other and the entire planet in between. The images were taken over the course of two hours on Oct. 6, 2004, while Cassini was approximately 6.3 million kilometers (3.9 million miles) from Saturn. Since the view seen by Cassini during this time changed very little, no re-projection or alteration of any of the images was necessary.
PIA06193
This false-color image is part of the "Spectacular Images of Saturn" exhibition on display at the National Air and Space Museum's Mall building.
False color images of Saturn's moon, Mimas, reveal variation in either the composition or texture across its surface.
PIA06257