Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Bulging Disc
Does this image seem a little lopsided to you? It should. Saturn rotates a little more than twice each earth day. Over billions of years, it's developed a bulge: the distance from pole to pole is about 10,000 miles less than from opposite locations on the equator.
A little night glow? Yes. Open the processors and gather a bit more light and we can see that the rings light up the night side of Saturn's southern hemisphere.
From some future child's bedroom ... "Mom, turn off the rings; I can't get to sleep!"
This book is a classic for great paintings of solar system sights. Included are a few spectacular renditions from the Saturnian atmosphere. Should be on every coffee table.
