| The Cassini-Huygens mission[PIA06470] |
South up
[PIA06470]Original image1024X716 tif 461kB 
This narrow angle ultraviolet image probes the high atmosphere above Saturn's south pole. A bright wedge near the lower-left limb falls in a latitude band which borders a darker latitude band a little closer to the pole. Viewing the limb of the planet in ultraviolet light allows researchers to sample the high part of the atmosphere (the stratosphere).
Scientists can discern from this image that the stratosphere in this latitude band is relatively pure hydrogen and helium and contains very little of the stratospheric haze which causes darkening closer to the pole.
The image was taken by the Cassini spacecraft on July 26, 2004, at a distance of 7.1 million kilometers (4.4 million miles) from Saturn. The image scale is 42 kilometers (26 miles) per pixel. Contrast was slightly enhanced to bring out features in the atmosphere.
[NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute]
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