South polar features

Wavy bands of clouds near Saturn's south pole dominate this ultraviolet image from the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. A bright wedge is visible near the lower left limb (apparent edge) of the planet. That wedge falls in a latitude band that borders a darker latitude band a little closer to the pole.

Viewing the limb of the planet in ultraviolet light allows researchers to sample the highest part of the atmosphere (the stratosphere). Imaging scientists can discern from this image that the stratosphere in this latitude band is relatively pure hydrogen and helium and contains very little stratospheric haze, which causes darkening closer to the pole.

The image was taken on 22 July 2004, from a distance of 6.7 million kilometres from Saturn. The image scale is 79 kilometres per pixel. Contrast was slightly enhanced to bring out features in the atmosphere.