No, this isn't a moody painting of Saturn. It's a photo.

What's This?

An image of Saturn taken by the Cassini spacecraft with an infrared filter.

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

By Miriam Kramer2015-08-11 20:57:21 UTC

A new photo taken by a satellite exploring Saturn and its many moons shows the ringed planet seemingly wrapped in a moody looking haze that actually looks more like art and less like science.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft snapped this image in May using an infrared filter, giving the photo its distinct, spooky glow, the space agency said.

"Infrared images can help scientists determine the location of clouds in the planet's atmosphere," NASA said in a statement.

In particular, this image can give scientists a sense of methane's presence in Saturn's atmosphere. There isn't much methane in the planet's atmosphere; however, the amount that is present changes the amount of light reflected by some Saturnian clouds, NASA said.

Saturn as seen by the Cassini spacecraft in infrared on May 25, 2015.

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

This kind of image — which was taken from about 930,000 miles away from the planet — can help scientists figure out how Saturn's unbreathable air moves vertically.

"The darker areas reveal clouds that are lower in the atmosphere, therefore under more methane," NASA said.

"Bright areas on Saturn are higher altitude clouds."

Cassini has been beaming back data and spectacular photos of Saturn and its 62 known moons since arriving at the planet in 2004. The spacecraft should continue its mission through 2017, when it is expected to run out of fuel, making a planned death-dive into Saturn's atmosphere.

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Topics: Cassini, cassini photos, Space, saturn, saturn photos, space photos, U.S., World
Source: No, this isn't a moody painting of Saturn. It's a photo.