Hubble takes new portrait of SaturnSeptember 13, 2019 - 11:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - When Saturn was approaching closest to Earth this year on June 20, the Hubble Space Telescope captured the view. Saturn was 845,064,821 miles from Earth and tilted towards us, showcasing its beautiful rings in detail. Even the more faint inner rings are visible in the new snap. Previously, views like this could previously be seen if a spacecraft visited Saturn. For example, the hexagon-shaped feature around Saturn's north pole was first spotted by NASA's Voyager 1 in 1981. It's captured in the new Hubble image. The mysterious structure has no twin at Saturn's south pole. Instead, the pattern is due to the planet's high-speed jet stream, according to the Space Telescope Science Institute. And the hexagon is larger than it looks -- four Earths could fit inside it. But Saturn's appearance varies. Some features come and go, like a large storm by the north pole spotted by Hubble last year. This year, it's nowhere to be seen. But a super "thunderhead," as astronomers call them, is visible in the center of Saturn. Just like Earth, Saturn goes through its seasons as well. Hubble spotted Saturn during its summer. The planet's vivid amber color is due to a smog-like haze occurring during its summer where solar ultraviolet radiation creates reactions in the atmosphere. And much like on Jupiter, the colorful bands are due to differently composed clouds driven by winds to stack at different levels. But the seasons last a little longer here, like in "Game of Thrones." Saturn's seasons can last over seven years. Each year, the Hubble Space Telescope spends some time looking at the outer planets of the solar system. In late June, during one of these observation periods, Hubble also took a stunning detailed portrait of Jupiter. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |