As my Christmas holiday gift, I thought I would present to all of you some lovely visions...not of sugar-plums, but of astounding things we have seen at Saturn, and the vision that such things have left in my mind, rendered by one of our most renowned astronomical artists. The spiky features and the long shadows they cast, seen in the images posted here at the outer edge of Saturns B ring during the planets equinox in mid-2009, are actually mountainous waves of icy rubble extending more than 2 miles high above the 30-feet-thick disk of debris that is the plane of the rings. [Links to these images and more, with explanations of what we think causes these immense structures, can be found here: bit.ly/1AJdTW2 ] I have often thought: What a surreal sight this would be if you were flying low across the rings in a shuttle craft. To your eyes the rings would look like a gleaming white gravelly sheet below you that extended nearly to infinity. And as you flew, eventually you would come upon a wall of rubble that towered 2 miles above your heard. There isnt another sight like it in the solar system! Michael Carroll, a beloved and skilled astronomical artist, took this idea, which I have often mentioned in public lectures, and turned it into a piece of art that Ive posted here. [Michaels website is here: t.co/XJ4acQkj22 Other Saturn related artwork by other artists can be found here: t.co/5wANGM107B ] This holiday season, as youre kicking back and enjoying the peace and quiet and Christmas sparkle that this time of year has to offer, let your mind wander to that ringed planet clear across the solar system that we have come to know so well. Imagine yourself, in a craft, joysticking among its many moons and across its rings, and revisiting in your mind all the glorious sights we have seen during the last decade of our time there, including this phenomenal section of Saturns rings. Ten years ago, it wouldnt have been possible for you to have such a reverie. And now its all yours and mine...to enjoy at will, whenever we wish. Happy Holidays to all you kindred souls and space cadets and lovers of new wonders. And lets hope for another splendid year up ahead. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 17:25:55 +0000
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