At first glance, this image may seem like a work of art. But in reality it is a very beautiful observation of Saturn and his companion Titan during the location of these objects in line with the Sun, an arrangement that creates its own cosmic art.
Known as the “high observation phase”, the NASA Cassini mission is in line with the Sun. The result is a very thin crescent of the upper atmosphere of Saturn. However, the most striking is the sun sickle formed around Titan. This effect is due to the hazy atmosphere of Titan, which refracts the light around the satellite.
The high observation phase is very useful for space missions, as some wavelengths of sunlight passing through the planet’s atmosphere will be absorbed. By studying the spectroscopy of the signal, the chemical components of the atmosphere can be decoded.
