Image Gallery: More closest-ever Cassini images from Saturn

Bluish-coloured storm at Saturn’s north pole, in the middle of the larger “hexagon” jet stream. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Jason Major

Since the previous post about Cassini’s first dive between Saturn and its rings on April 26, more images have become available. These are the closest-ever images taken of Saturn, showing the north polar region with a huge bluish-coloured storm at the centre of the massive “hexagon” jet stream and many other smaller storms and eddies in the atmosphere. As it dove through the gap, Cassini came within about 3,000 kilometres (1,900 miles) of Saturn’s cloud tops and within about 300 kilometres (200 miles) of the innermost visible edge of the rings. Cassini’s next dive through the gap is scheduled for May 2. See also Sophia Nasr’s (@Pharaoness) beautiful and haunting processed Cassini image taken a couple days later, on April 29.

Read MoreImage Gallery: More closest-ever Cassini images from Saturn

Image Gallery: Atlas close-up

Atlas, with its broad and smooth equatorial ridge. Photo Credit: NASA/JPL/SSI/Ian Regan

Some great new views from the Cassini spacecraft of Saturn’s tiny moon Atlas were released today. Atlas is similar to another Saturnian “ravioli” or “flying saucer” moon, Pan – a central roughly spherical or oblate body with an unusual broad equatorial ridge. Like Pan, the ridge is thought to have formed from material coming from Saturn’s rings, and also like Pan, the ridge on Atlas appears very smooth, but is significantly larger. Atlas orbits just outside the outer edge of Saturn’s A ring and is very small, only about 15 kilometres (9.4 miles) across, but still larger than Pan.

Read MoreImage Gallery: Atlas close-up

Image Gallery: New close-up views of Saturn and its rings

Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

As the Cassini spacecraft continues its journey through the Ring-Grazing Orbits, it has been sending back some incredible new images of Saturn and its rings, many in detail never seen before. The rings are composed of countless individual streams of particles, all held in place by Saturn’s gravity. Click to view full-size versions of the raw images. All Cassini raw images are available here.

Read MoreImage Gallery: New close-up views of Saturn and its rings

Image Gallery: Jupiter’s ‘Little Red Spot’ from Juno

Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstaedt/John Rogers

The Juno spacecraft has sent back a beautiful new view of Jupiter’s “Little Red Spot,” a smaller and paler version of the Great Red Spot, which is an anticyclone in the atmosphere (a large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure). Other complex cloud patterns can also be seen. The image was first taken on Dec. 11, 2016. The amazing full image is below:

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Image Gallery: New views of Jupiter’s poles from Juno

Partial view of Jupiter's south pole. Image Credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS/Matt Brealey
Partial view of Jupiter’s south pole. Click image for larger version. Image Credit: NASA/SwRI/MSSS/Matt Brealey

The Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter has been sending back some beautiful new views of Jupiters north and south poles, not seen before in detail until now. This is still very early in the mission and there will be many more and better ones to come! The intricate swirls of storms and other clouds make the polar regions distinctly different from the banded equatorial and mid-latitude regions which we are used to seeing. Thanks to Matt Brealey for the use of his processed NASA images. More of his work is on his blog The State of Space.

Read MoreImage Gallery: New views of Jupiter’s poles from Juno