[BAA-ebulletin 00750] From the Cassini Imaging Team: July 19, 2013: 'A day to celebrate the pale blue dot'

[BAA electronic bulletins service]

The following message is from the leader of the imaging team for the Cassini spacecraft in orbit around Saturn.  Cassini will be taking a photo of Earth on July 19, around 21:30 UT (22:30 BST), and we are all invited to celebrate and smile.  More details at

http://thedaytheearthsmiled.com/info.php


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:35:10 -0600
From: Carolyn Porco <cpcomments at ciclops.org>
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: JULY 19, 2013:  A DAY TO CELEBRATE THE PALE BLUE DOT

June 18, 2013


Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Something great, something big, something very special that's never 
happened before is about to happen!

On July 19, 2013, NASA's Cassini spacecraft will be turned to image 
Saturn and its entire ring system during a total eclipse of the sun, as 
it has done twice before during its previous 9 years in orbit.

But this time will be very different. This time, the images to be 
collected will capture, in natural color, a glimpse of our own planet 
next to Saturn and its rings on a day that will be the first time 
Earthlings know in advance their picture will be taken from a billion 
miles away.

It will be a day for people all over the globe to celebrate together the 
extraordinary achievements that have made such an interplanetary photo 
session possible. And it will be a day to celebrate life on the Pale 
Blue Dot.

A new Captain's Log that expresses the significance of this event and 
how you can participate in it can be found in the usual place on ...

http://ciclops.org

You can also find graphics showing where Earth will be relative to 
Saturn and what portion of the Earth will be illuminated during the 
picture-taking event at ...

http://ciclops.org/view_event/193/

Our planet, of course, will only be a blue point of light as seen from 
Saturn. But it, and we, are unique in all the solar system, and that is 
worth celebrating!
Enjoy!

Carolyn Porco
Cassini Imaging Team Leader
Director, CICLOPS
Boulder, CO

http://ciclops.org
http://twitter.com/carolynporco
http://www.facebook.com/carolynporco

______________________________________

John H. Rogers, Ph.D.
Jupiter Section Director,
British Astronomical Association.

<jhr11 at cam.ac.uk>
http://www.britastro.org/jupiter
_______________________________________