Seeing high in Saturn's sky

Tradução ao final do texto.

Fabian D'Agostini;

Astronomynews e um veículo de divulgação do GEA - Grupo de Estudos de Astronomia, entidade sem fins lucrativo, dedicada ao ensino da Astronomia.
Sede: Planetário - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
Campus UFSC, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil CEP 88-049-000 Fone:(48)331.9241

Seeing high in Saturn's sky
CASSINI PHOTO RELEASE
Posted: January 6, 2006

In this magnificent view from the Cassini orbiter, delicate haze layers high in the atmosphere encircle the oblate figure of Saturn. A special combination of spectral filters used for this image makes the high haze become visible. A methane-sensitive filter (centered at 889 nanometers) makes high altitude features stand out, while a polarizing filter makes small haze particles appear bright.

Methane in the atmosphere absorbs light with wavelengths around 889 nanometers as it travels deeper into the gas planet, thus bright areas in this image must represent reflective material at higher altitudes. Small particles or individual molecules scatter light quite effectively to a polarization of 90 degrees, which this polarizing filter is sensitive to. Thus, high altitude haze layers appear bright in this view.

The small blob of light at far right is Dione (1,126 kilometers, or 700 miles across).

The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera at a distance of approximately 2.9 million kilometers (1.8 million miles) from Saturn and at a Sun-Saturn-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 100 degrees. The image scale is 169 kilometers (105 miles) per pixel.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo.

Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute Download larger image version here

In this magnificent view from the Cassini orbiter, delicate haze layers high in the atmosphere encircle the oblate figure of Saturn. A special combination of spectral filters used for this image makes the high haze become visible. A methane-sensitive filter (centered at 889 nanometers) makes high altitude features stand out, while a polarizing filter makes small haze particles appear bright.

Methane in the atmosphere absorbs light with wavelengths around 889 nanometers as it travels deeper into the gas planet, thus bright areas in this image must represent reflective material at higher altitudes. Small particles or individual molecules scatter light quite effectively to a polarization of 90 degrees, which this polarizing filter is sensitive to. Thus, high altitude haze layers appear bright in this view.

The small blob of light at far right is Dione (1,126 kilometers, or 700 miles across).

The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera at a distance of approximately 2.9 million kilometers (1.8 million miles) from Saturn and at a Sun-Saturn-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 100 degrees. The image scale is 169 kilometers (105 miles) per pixel.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo.

<>

Fonte: http://spaceflightnow.com/cassini/060106saturn.html

Nesta vista magnífica do "orbiter de Cassini", camadas delicadas de nevoeiro alto; no encircle da atmosfera a figura de "oblate" de Saturno. Uma combinação especial de filtros espectrais foram usadas para esta imagem fazendo o nevoeiro ao alto tornar-se visível. Um filtro metano-sensível (centrou em 889 nanometers) faz as características altas (de altitude)projetarem, enquanto um que foi polarizado ao filtro faz partículas pequenas de nevoeiro aparecerem brilhantes.

O metano na atmosfera absorve luz com comprimentos de onda ao redor de 889 nanometers como viaja mais fundo na planeta de gás, áreas assim brilhantes nesta imagem devem representar material em altitudes mais altas. Partículas pequenas ou moléculas individuais dispersam luz bem eficientemente a um polarização de 90 graus,

O borrão pequeno de luz na extrema direita é ""Dione" (1.126 quilômetros, ou 700 milhas do outro lado).

A imagem foi tomada com a espaçonave de Cassini câmera de grande abertura angular a uma distância de aproximadamente 2,9 milhões de quilômetros (1,8 milhões de milhas) de Saturno e num Sol-Saturno-espaçonave, ou fase, ângulo de 100 graus. A escala de imagem é 169 quilômetros (105 milhas) por pixel.

A missão de Cassini-Huygens é um projeto cooperativo entre a NASA, e a Agência européia Espacial e a Agência italiana Espacial. O Laboratório de Propulsão de Jato, uma divisão do Instituto de Califórnia da Tecnologia em Pasadena, administra a missão de Ciência da NASA, Washington, D.C. O orbiter de Cassini e suas duas câmeras de bordo foram projetadas, foram desenvolvidas e foram montadas em JPL. O centro de operações de imaging é baseado no Instituto de Ciência de Espaço em Pedra, Colo.

Tradução Adaptativa

Fabiano Oliveira.