Image 4-2
Jewel of the Solar System
This image of the planet Saturn was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope on March 22, 2004. It reveals subtle details in the planet's turbulent atmosphere. Saturn's atmosphere is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Smaller amounts of ammonia, methane, and other hydrocarbons give the clouds their distinctive pastel colors. Just like its bigger brother, Jupiter, the atmospheric bands all run parallel to the planet's equator. The rings in this image are close to their maximum tilt as seen from Earth.
NASA, ESA and Erich Karkoschka (University of Arizona)
Solar System | Faces of Mars | Visions of Jupiter | Sights of Saturn
Best of Hubble #1 | Best of Hubble #2 | Spitzer Spectacles | Above the Earth