# @europeanspaceagency on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DJRwzVWMgPo
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35582152-europeanspaceagency-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/d9df83dc79.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-05-05T15:50:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** J.L.Lopez (@xandler80) — https://gondola.cc/xandler80

## Caption

Prepare for Saturn’s equinox! 🪐

Saturn is famous for its bright, sprawling rings, but during an equinox, they are cast in an entirely different light. The Sun will shine directly over Saturn’s equator, hitting the rings edge-on — creating striking shadows and dramatic effects that we only see twice every Saturnian orbit (about every 15 Earth years!).

This stunning mosaic was captured by the international Cassini mission during Saturn’s last equinox in 2009. From 847 000 kilometres away and 20 degrees above the ring plane, Cassini’s wide-angle camera took 75 exposures over eight hours to piece together this breathtaking view.

During equinox, Saturn’s rings appear dramatically darker. Out-of-plane structures brighten up, casting long, thin shadows across the rings — shadow puppets on a planetary scale! These fleeting shadows revealed hidden mountains in the rings, previously undiscovered moonlets, and even mysterious radial features called spokes. 

Look closely and you’ll also spot some of Saturn’s moons: Janus, Epimetheus, Pandora, and Atlas, each a small yet striking part of the cosmic stage.

Saturn’s equinox reminds us that even the most iconic planets can reveal new secrets when the light shifts just right.

Saturn’s equinox happens on 6 May 2025!

📸 NASA / nasajpl / spacescienceinstitute

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 37,574
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- **Comments:** 62

## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESA - European Space Agency | @europeanspaceagency | https://gondola.cc/europeanspaceagency | Government Organization |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Editor |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Publisher |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Copywriter |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Community Manager |

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