New Delhi: NASA's Cassini spacecraft has captured this false-color view that shows clouds in Saturn's northern hemisphere.
According to NASA, the view was made using images taken by Cassini's wide-angle camera on July 20, 2016, using a combination of spectral filters sensitive to infrared light at 750, 727 and 619 nanometers.
The stunning view was produced by space imaging enthusiast Kevin M Gill, who also happens to be an engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Swirling pastels of Saturn’s clouds appear majestic in this false-color view: https://t.co/q2RvrHyD7p @CassiniSaturn pic.twitter.com/lgaBXFwDGC
— NASA (@NASA) August 9, 2016
Filters like these, which are sensitive to absorption and scattering of sunlight by methane in Saturn's atmosphere, have been useful throughout Cassini's mission for determining the structure and depth of cloud features in the atmosphere.
For most 2015, Cassini orbited in Saturn's rings – around the planet's equator. Cassini is the fourth space probe to visit Saturn and the first to enter orbit, and its mission is ongoing. Since arrival at Saturn on 1 July, 2004, Cassini has studied the planet and its many natural satellites. The spacecraft has also sent back huge amounts of new information about Saturn, its rings, moons and magnetic field.
