Voyager 2 Shot of Saturn, 1981

This dazzling shot of Saturn was taken by Voyager 2 in 1981.

Posted by NASA Planetary Catalog
05 December, 2001 04:07:22

In this Voyager 2 image of Saturn, obtained Aug. 11, 1981, from a range of 14.7 million kilometers (9.1 million miles), north is at the upper right edge of the disc.

Seen above the planet are the satellites Dione (right) and Enceladus.

This false-color print shows a green spot at the south edge of a yellow band; in true color, the spot would appear brown and the band white. A bright yellow spot slightly above and to the left in this image moves eastward relative to the green spot at a rate that allows it to pass the green feature in about 50 days.

The convective clouds that appear between the two spots are typical of the region. Here, the smallest visible structures measure about 270 kilometers (170 miles). The Voyager project is managed for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.