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Cassini Sends Back Its First Image of Jupiter

By Keith Cowing
October 5, 2000
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Cassini's First Image of Jupiter According to NASA JPL: “This image of Jupiter was taken by the Cassini Imaging Science narrow angle camera through the blue filter (centered at 445 nanometers) on October 1, 2000,
15:26 UTC at a distance of 84.1 million km from Jupiter. The smallest features that can be seen are 500 kilometers across. The contrast between bright and dark
features in this region of the spectrum is determined by the different light absorbing properties of the particles composing Jupiter’s clouds. Ammonia ice particles
are white, reflecting all light that falls on them. But some particles are red, and absorb mostly blue light. The composition of these red particles and the processes
which determine their distribution are two of the long-standing mysteries of jovian meteorology and chemistry. Note that the Great Red Spot contains a dark core
of absorbing particles.”



Related links

  • Additional information and higher resolution versions of this image, NASA Planetary Photojournal

  • 16 April 2000: Cassini Completes Trip Through Asteroid Belt. Jupiter is next, then Saturn and Titan, SpaceRef

  • 8 March 2000: Galileo Spacecraft to Fly with a Friend, Earn Bonus Miles, NASA JPL

  • Cassini MIssion Homepage, NASA JPL

  • SpaceRef co-founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.