Saturn from 111 kilometres

This image shows Saturn as seen from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, on 9 November 2003, when it was about 111 million kilometres from the planet. The view offered by this photo is very different from the one we can get from Earth: it shows Saturn's dark side! As Cassini approaches its target, its vision of Saturn's atmosphere and rings will sharpen dramatically. Once it has arrived, in July 2004, Cassini will begin to study the Saturn system, effectively becoming its first artificial moon.

In January 2005, Cassini will approach Titan, Saturn's largest natural moon, and will release in its atmosphere ESA's Huygens probe. Huygens will descend down to the surface of Titan, studying the complex organic chemistry at work on it, and may provide clues on how life began on Earth.