Dione's Shadow Transit Across Saturn: A Celestial Spectacle
Saturn, the ringed jewel of our solar system, often presents breathtaking views. One of the more elusive yet captivating events is when one of its many moons casts a shadow across its magnificent face. Today, we're diving into an incredible capture of Dione's shadow transit, courtesy of a dedicated astrophotographer.
Capturing the Shadow
This remarkable image showcases Dione, Saturn's fourth-largest moon, as it passes in front of the planet, casting its shadow. Dione's substantial size makes its shadow visible through a mid-sized telescope, a feat that requires excellent atmospheric conditions – in this case, "nice seeing and average transparency."
The observer, located in Southeast Asia, notes the challenges of capturing such events, particularly the impossibility of viewing Titan's shadow transit from their location. This makes this Dione transit an even more valuable and appreciated capture.
The Technical Details
The imaging session, which took place on August 16, 2025, at 19:14 UTC+8, involved a series of stacked and derotated frames. Specifically, 16 frames, each representing 22% of a 90-second capture, were used to create the final, detailed image.
Equipment used included:
- Skywatcher Flextube 200p
- ZWO ASI585MC
- Svbony SV216 3x Telecentric Lens
- Svbony UV/IR Cut Filter
Acquisition details were as follows:
- Gain: 469 (78%)
- Exposure: 10.00ms
Processing and software involved:
- PIPP
- Autostackert!4
- Registax 6
- WinJUPOS
- Adobe Photoshop
Locating the Shadow
For those struggling to spot the subtle shadow, it's positioned near the center of the planet, directly above the prominent rings. It's a testament to the skill of the astrophotographer that this faint detail could be captured and rendered so beautifully.
This image is a powerful reminder of the dynamic nature of our solar system and the dedication of individuals who bring these celestial phenomena closer to us. For a behind-the-scenes look at the process, you can check out the .
