Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2023 August 25
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                             A Season of Saturn
                 Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Andy Casely

   Explanation: [5]Ringed planet Saturn will be at its 2023 opposition,
   opposite the Sun in Earth's skies, on August 27. While that puts the
   sixth planet from the Sun at its [6]brightest and well-placed for
   viewing, its beautiful ring system isn't visible to the unaided eye.
   Still, this sequence of telescopic images taken a year apart over the
   last six years follows both Saturn and rings as seen from inner planet
   Earth. The gas giant's [7]ring plane tilts from most open in 2018 to
   approaching edge-on in 2023 (top to bottom). That's summer to nearly
   the autumn [8]equinox for Saturn's northern hemisphere. In the sharp
   planetary portraits, Saturn's northern [9]hexagon and a large [10]storm
   system are clearly visible in 2018. In 2023, [11]ice moon Tethys is
   transiting, casting its shadow across southern hemisphere cloud bands,
   while Saturn's cold blue south pole is emerging from almost a decade of
   winter darkness.

                     Tomorrow's picture: phases of Venus
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    Authors & editors: [23]Robert Nemiroff ([24]MTU) & [25]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([26]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [27]Specific rights apply.
              [28]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [29]ASD at [30]NASA / [31]GSFC,
                         [32]NASA Science Activation
                           & [33]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2308/SeasonSaturnapodacasely.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://www.instagram.com/interplanetary_storm_chaser/
   5. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/saturn/overview/
   6. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/saturn-at-opposition-closest-brightest-best/
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210919.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091110.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230618.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110119.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170205.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230824.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  16. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  21. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230825
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230826.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  26. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  29. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  32. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  33. http://www.mtu.edu/