Saturn’s Darker Side

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Saturn casts a shadow onto its rings

Released November 9, 2009, this image from Cassini shows the northern night side of Saturn sending a deep shadow across its rings while the 700-mile-wide Dione looks on.

The shepherd moon Pandora can be seen here as well, orbiting just outside the thin F ring, at center.

The Cassini spacecraft was over 800,000 miles from Saturn when this was taken.

View the original release on the CICLOPS site here.

Image: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute