Planets

A peek at planet Earth and the moon from between the rings of Saturn

Published April 25, 2017 | By Cosmic Tribune

April 25, 2017

On April 12, as the Sun was blocked by the disk of Saturn the Cassini spacecraft camera looked toward the inner Solar System and the gas giant’s backlit rings.

At the top of the mosaicked view is… Continue reading →

Scenic vistas from . . . Mars by NASA’s Curiosity

Published September 20, 2016 | By Cosmic Tribune

This scene, taken by Curiosity on Sept. 5, 2015, shows the dark Murray Buttes in the foreground, the lighter-toned Murray formation beyond them, and the summit of Aeolis Mons (“Mount Sharp”) in the distance.

September 20, 2016

It’s hard to… Continue reading →

Mars poses with the stars, Antares and M4

Published September 14, 2016 | By Cosmic Tribune

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION, Sebastian Voltmer]

Wandering through this stunning field of view, Mars really is in front of these colorful cosmic clouds.

The mosaic contructed from telescopic images is about 5 degrees (10 full moons) across. It… Continue reading →

Cassini’s awe-inspiring view of Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io

Published August 12, 2016 | By Cosmic Tribune

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION, Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA]

How big is Jupiter’s moon Io? The most volcanic body in the Solar System, Io (usually pronounced “EYE-oh”) is 3,600 kilometers in diameter, about the size of… Continue reading →

Cassini’s coming collision with Saturn

Published August 1, 2016 | By Cosmic Tribune

Aug. 1, 2016

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION, NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute]

What’s behind Saturn? The first answer is the camera itself, perched on the Cassini spacecraft currently orbiting behind the planet with the most grand ring system in our… Continue reading →

‘Built like an armored tank’, Juno swoops through debris, radiation in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere

Published July 5, 2016 | By Cosmic Tribune

July 4, 2016

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION]

NASA’s Juno spacecraft, on July 4, 2016, headed in for a close look at the largest planet in our solar system. / NASA art

NASA’s Juno spacecraft was to fire its… Continue reading →

Juno, on July 4, will fire engine, orbit Jupiter’s poles at cloud-top level

Published July 1, 2016 | By Cosmic Tribune

After nearly a five-year journey, Juno enjoys a perspective on Jupiter not often seen, even by spacecraft from Earth that usually swing by closer to Jupiter’s equator.

Credit: NASA, JPL, Juno Mission.

Looking down toward the ruling gas giant from… Continue reading →

The view from beyond Pluto

Published June 12, 2016 | By Cosmic Tribune

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION, NASA, Johns Hopkins Univ./APL, Southwest Research Institute]

The night side of Pluto spans this shadowy scene. The space-based view with the Sun behind the distant world was captured by New Horizons last July.

The… Continue reading →

Mercury takes 7.5 hours to transit the sun

Published May 13, 2016 | By Cosmic Tribune

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION, Howard Brown-Greaves]

On May 9, the diminutive disk of Mercury spent about seven and a half hours crossing in front of the Sun as viewed from the general vicinity of Earth.

It was the… Continue reading →

Meanwhile, on Mars it’s just another day, but where does Curiosity go for a tire change?

Published May 4, 2016 | By Cosmic Tribune

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR HIGH RESOLUTION, NASA, JPL-Caltech, MSSS]

Where is NASA’s rover Curiosity going on Mars? Its geographical goals are on the slopes of Mount Sharp, whose peak is seen in the background on the right.

A key scientific… Continue reading →

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