By — Julia Griffin Julia Griffin Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/let-cassini-live-forever-desktop-smartphone-wallpapers Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Let Cassini live forever with these desktop and smartphone wallpapers Science Sep 14, 2017 6:03 PM EDT The colors of Saturn’s northern hemisphere shift over the course of it’s 30-Earth year long year. The bluish hues of north pole have all but faded in this 2016 image as the planet neared its May 2017 northern hemisphere solstice. Digital wallpaper available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute After 20 years and 5 billion miles traveled, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft will plummet Friday into Saturn, the planet it knows best. Since 2004, Cassini has orbited the ringed behemoth more than 290 times, getting up-close looks at the planet, its moons and icy rings like no other man-made object has before. Its instruments beamed back more than 450,000 beautiful — and scientifically revealing — images during its lonely mission beyond the asteroid belt. But as Cassini death dives into Saturn’s atmosphere and melts into oblivion, you can keep the mission going by adding some of these NewsHour-crafted backgrounds to your computers and smartphones. Click each photo to access the wallpapers. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captured this 2012 image while in Saturn’s shadow. This color-enhanced view was created by combining photos taken with infrared, red and violet spectral filters. Digital wallpaper available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Cassini’s narrow-angle camera captured this view of Saturn’s rings from approximately 740,000 miles away in 2016. Digital wallpapers available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Saturn’s southern hemispheres gains a bluish tone as the ringed planet’s winter approaches in 2013. Digital wallpapers available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute The spinning vortex of Saturn’s north polar storm resembles a giant red rose in this false-color image Cassini image from 2013. Digital wallpapers available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI A small object disrupts Saturn’s F ring in this Cassini image from 2016. Digital wallpapers available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, appears in front of the planet and its icy rings in a natural color image from 2012. Digital wallpaper available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute This 2017 natural color image features portions of the inner-central part of Saturn’s B Ring. The pale tan color is generally not perceptible with the naked eye in telescope views, given the planet’s similar hue. Digital wallpapers available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Saturn’s mysterious six-sided weather pattern known as the hexagon is visible around planet’s north pole in this 2013 image. It was created by combining 36 images from the Cassini spacecraft. Digital wallpaper available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Cornell We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Julia Griffin Julia Griffin Julia Griffin is senior coordinator of digital video at PBS NewsHour where she oversees the daily production of video content for the organization’s website and social media platforms.
The colors of Saturn’s northern hemisphere shift over the course of it’s 30-Earth year long year. The bluish hues of north pole have all but faded in this 2016 image as the planet neared its May 2017 northern hemisphere solstice. Digital wallpaper available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute After 20 years and 5 billion miles traveled, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft will plummet Friday into Saturn, the planet it knows best. Since 2004, Cassini has orbited the ringed behemoth more than 290 times, getting up-close looks at the planet, its moons and icy rings like no other man-made object has before. Its instruments beamed back more than 450,000 beautiful — and scientifically revealing — images during its lonely mission beyond the asteroid belt. But as Cassini death dives into Saturn’s atmosphere and melts into oblivion, you can keep the mission going by adding some of these NewsHour-crafted backgrounds to your computers and smartphones. Click each photo to access the wallpapers. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captured this 2012 image while in Saturn’s shadow. This color-enhanced view was created by combining photos taken with infrared, red and violet spectral filters. Digital wallpaper available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Cassini’s narrow-angle camera captured this view of Saturn’s rings from approximately 740,000 miles away in 2016. Digital wallpapers available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Saturn’s southern hemispheres gains a bluish tone as the ringed planet’s winter approaches in 2013. Digital wallpapers available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute The spinning vortex of Saturn’s north polar storm resembles a giant red rose in this false-color image Cassini image from 2013. Digital wallpapers available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI A small object disrupts Saturn’s F ring in this Cassini image from 2016. Digital wallpapers available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, appears in front of the planet and its icy rings in a natural color image from 2012. Digital wallpaper available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute This 2017 natural color image features portions of the inner-central part of Saturn’s B Ring. The pale tan color is generally not perceptible with the naked eye in telescope views, given the planet’s similar hue. Digital wallpapers available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Saturn’s mysterious six-sided weather pattern known as the hexagon is visible around planet’s north pole in this 2013 image. It was created by combining 36 images from the Cassini spacecraft. Digital wallpaper available in 1920×1080, 1920×1200, 2880×1880 and iPhone7 formats. Photo courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/Cornell We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now