Re: Cassini: where are colors and detail?

From: David Nakamoto (res07oeg_at_verizon.net)
Date: 07/02/04 

Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2004 15:31:56 GMT

"Philippe Gautier" <Philippe.Gautier@nospamhgu.mrc.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:pqbFc.1752$MA4.15165599@news-text.cableinet.net...
> andrea tasselli wrote:
> > "David Nakamoto" <res07oeg@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:<1A4Fc.22427$x9.20968@nwrddc02.gnilink.net>...
> >
> >>It is a black and white camera with a color filter wheel in front. But
> >>things were happening so fast around ring plane crossing that, according
to
> >>Caroline Porco, they decided not to take the extra time to do filter
wheel
> >>machinations and just went black and white. Detail is what they were
after
> >>so close to the ring plane, but I think color iamges would be made
later.
> >>But according to Porco, they won't be any color images from this passage
> >>through the ring plane because they didn't take any.
> >>
> >>As for detail, from earth those details are due to extensive processing
> >>(stacking and processing). These first images are raw; I don't think
they
> >>processed at all, so stuff like low contras features will not show up,
but
> >>they will later when they've processed the raw images further.
> >
> >
> > The detail showed so far far exceeds anything previously achieved with
> > either ground based telescopes or the HST.
> >
> > Andrea T.
>
> Actually, can someone point me to some of the "best before cassini"
> pictures? I have to admit that sometimes, I'm confused by the mix of
> real pictures and computer generated images you see everywhere and I
> don't know anymore what's the real thing. For example, as I understand,
> nobody has seen so far individual rocks/objects within the rings?

I don't see the source of the confusion. Anything from NASA/JPL is usually
clearly marked as either a simulation or the real deal. Anything from
amateur isn't going to show as much detail. Period. Read the captions on
the images from JPL and you'll soon realize this.

If you really want the real deal, look through the JPL/NASA sites. Enough
of the old data is there somewhere. 

-- 
   Sincerely,
   --- Dave
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A man is a god in ruins.
               --- Duke Ellington
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