EarthSky News - Dec 7 - 1st Images from Cassini's Penultimate Orbit

December 7 Cassini's Penultimate Orbit: 1st Images by:

Cassini's penultimate orbit: 1st images Cassini spacecraft at Saturn now in its final year. Imaging team leader Carolyn Porco said: "Let these images ... remind you that we've lived a bold and daring adventure around the solar system's most magnificent planet." Landing on Mars is hard Mars' atmospheric pressure is less than 1% that of Earth, so spacecraft come down hard. Europe has been trying for a Mars' soft landing since 2003. How they plan to succeed. The spectacular Large Magellanic Cloud From tropical or Southern Hemisphere latitudes, the Large Magellanic Cloud is easy to see. Look for it in the evening from December to April. N. Hemisphere? Watch for earliest sunsets 2016 solstice is on December 21, but the earliest sunsets at mid-northern latitudes happen on or near December 7. In the S. Hemisphere? Then watch for your earliest sunrises.

EarthSky Tees Are Back You've got to see the new long sleeved tees and hoodies! Thanks as always for the continued support, it means the world to us. Click here to pre-order now and receive before Christmas.

Today's image: Patterns in mammatus clouds On December 4, it remained dry in Mutare, Zimbabwe, despite a spectacular attempt to rain! Photo by Peter Lowenstein. Click here for more.

Northern Hemisphere's earliest sunsets Although the solstice happens on December 21, earliest sunsets at mid-northern latitudes happen around now. Russ Adams caught this shot Monday evening in Pike County, Illinois.  Submit your photo to EarthSky here!

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