Chocolate Saturn and its Rings

Description

Saturn and its rings, as seen by the wide angled camera on NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. This view looks toward the unlit side of the planet from a high phase angle, giving the rings a golden appearance. Light can be seen reflecting from the rings onto the planet’s southern hemisphere. Saturn’s B ring (top right corner) and C ring (gold) can be seen, with the more finely banded innermost D ring (brown, upper centre right) disappearing into shadow. Saturn’s rings are mainly composed of ice and dust particles. Image taken on 28th September 2006, from a distance of 1.4 million kilometres away. (Photo by Science Photo Library)