Wavelike patterns in Saturn's cloud bands
This is a highly detailed look by the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft at the feathery, wavelike patterns in the cloud bands of Saturn's southern hemisphere.
Near the centre, long filaments wrap around a swirling vortex. Notable is the extreme change in appearance at very high southern latitudes.
This image was taken with the wide-angle camera on board the Cassini spacecraft on 14 December 2004, at a distance of 595 000 kilometres from Saturn.
The Cassini-Huygens mission is a co-operative project of NASA, ESA and ASI, the Italian space agency.
Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
