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Astrophotographer captures unreal photo of Saturn during its closest approach to Earth

Updated Oct 10th, 2022 9:25AM EDT
View of Saturn from Titan
Image: Media Whale Stock / Adobe

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Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy, who goes by cosmic_background on Instagram, captured an unreal photo of Saturn over the weekend. McCarthy says he captured the image from the roof of a parking garage in Southern California after driving from his home in Arizona.

Check out this breathtaking photo of Saturn

McCarthy is no stranger to taking fantastic photos of celestial objects and events. In the past, we’ve covered photos he has taken of the Moon and some amazing photos of the Sun and the International Space Station, too. This latest photo of Saturn is one of the most awe-inspiring photos he has shared.

McCarthy shared the photo on both his Twitter and Instagram, and it has garnered quite a lot of attention already. That’s because the image looks spectacular, showcasing the planet and its rings in complete detail.

The photo of Saturn is a little fuzzy given that it wasn’t captured using a powerful system like James Webb or Hubble. But it still does a great job of showcasing the planet’s beauty.

But anyone can take a photo of Saturn with the right equipment. McCarthy uses a powerful hardware system to capture photos, especially those centered around the Sun. But, astrophotography isn’t impossible for newcomers to get into, either.

saturn
Saturn as imaged by Hubble. Image source: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley), and the OPAL Team

As McCarthy noted in a tweet he shared at the same time as his new photo of Saturn, getting into astrophotography is just about having the passion for looking up at the sky and envisioning a great photo, and then striving to reach it. He includes a detailed write-up on how he first got into astrophotography on his website, and I recommend anyone interested in getting into it check it out.

Seeing this new photo of Saturn is a great reminder of how beautiful space is. It is also a great reminder of the talent that McCarthy brings to the table. He has an eye for capturing some of the most awe-inspiring photos I’ve seen. On top of that, he does it well. For more like this new photo of Saturn, check out his website. He often sells prints of his photos.

Josh Hawkins has been writing for over a decade, covering science, gaming, and tech culture. He also is a top-rated product reviewer with experience in extensively researched product comparisons, headphones, and gaming devices.

Whenever he isn’t busy writing about tech or gadgets, he can usually be found enjoying a new world in a video game, or tinkering with something on his computer.