The Dark Side of Saturn

the-dark-side-of-saturn photo 1This time of year we’re surrounded by holiday decorations all a glow, but it’s hard to hold a candle to the display put on by Saturn back-lit by the Sun.

Courtesy of NASA and the Cassini spacecraft, we’re treated to an absolutely stunning view of Saturn’s rings illuminated by the Sun. From the press release:

[D]uring its 174th orbit around the gas giant, Cassini was deliberately positioned within Saturn’s shadow, a perfect location from which to look in the direction of the sun and take a backlit view of the rings and the dark side of the planet. Looking back towards the sun is a geometry referred to by planetary scientists as “high solar phase;” near the center of your target’s shadow is the highest phase possible. This is a very scientifically advantageous and coveted viewing position, as it can reveal details about both the rings and atmosphere that cannot be seen in lower solar phase.

Hit up the link below for more information about the photo and a high-resolution copy.

From Cassini for the Holidays: A Splendor Seldom Seen [NASA]

More stories

The Earth at Night [Video]

This fresh video from NASA provides the clearest view of the Earth at night ever seen, thanks to the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership Satellite. Check out the video and accompanying pics to see the stunning views.

Disc Drives: An Endangered Species

More and more computers are shipping sans-disc drive leading many industry watchers to proclaim the optical disc an endangered species on its way out. Do you still use your drive or are you letting the disc go?

How to Disable the Animations on the Windows 8 Start Screen

Who doesn’t love animations? They make everything look so cool. But in some cases, animations are a distraction, and the same is true for Windows 8’s start screen (the “Modern UI”). Fortunately, there’s a very simple way to disable all those animations. Keep reading to find out how it’s done.

Windows 8 Step by Step Review: Solid Book for Beginners

You might be surprised to see us reviewing a Windows 8 book, especially considering we recently launched our own book, The How-To Geek Guide to Windows 8 – but since we don’t (yet) have a paperback version, we may as well give you another option.

Ask the Readers: What’s on Your Geeky Christmas List?

From tablets to replicas of Tattoine, visions of geeky and technology-loaded gifts surely dance in many of your heads. This week’s question is all about you and the loot you’d love to find in your stocking this year.