Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Mar 25, 2007 12:37:48 GMT -6
Cassini Looks over Shoulder at Jupiter
The brick red, white and brown cloud bands of Jupiter are seen here from Saturn orbit. The Cassini spacecraft's powerful imaging cameras were specially designed to photograph nearby bodies (cosmically speaking) in the Saturn system, but as this image demonstrates, the cameras are actually telescopes.
Jupiter is imaged here from more than 11 times the distance between Earth and the Sun, or slightly farther than the average Earth-Saturn distance. As demonstrated by Pale Blue Orb, Earth is only about a pixel across when viewed from Saturn by Cassini.
Cassini's parting glance at Jupiter, following the spacecraft's 2000 flyby and gravity assist, is Cassini's Farewell to Jupiter.
Source: saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image-details.cfm?imageID=2540
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I would have expected the image to be sharper from Cassini. Many factors to into account, but cool regardless.