Spectacular Photo from NASA's Cassini Reveals Southern Ring Shadow

A stunning new photo from NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows Saturn's dramatic profile, spotlighting how far it has tilted towards the sun since the craft arrived 12 years ago. In the new Cassini photo, taken March 19, Saturn's north pole (and its strange, churning giant hexagon) is brightly lit, while its southern hemisphere is covered by the rings' shadow, which moves slowly as the planet's tilt toward the sun alters. When Cassini first arrived in Saturn's system after a seven-year journey from E