Wanna See Saturn With Your Own Eyes -- Me TOO!!

Experiencing Saturn through a telescope for the first time is a feast for the eyes. NASA's Cassini mission to Saturn is helping people savor the view by coordinating a network of people and telescopes around the globe to help others see the ringed giant. The Cassini Saturn Observation Campaign includes more than 380 volunteers located in 44 U.S. states and 50 countries. During the past year, Saturn Observation Campaign members held nearly 800 events for more than 108,000 people from all ages and walks of life, including students, teachers and curious members of the public. The best viewing this year will last through April 2005. In May, Saturn will dip lower in the sky, and by late June it will be lost in the glare of the setting Sun. The rings are now open wide, and even though the tilt of the rings has been decreasing since 2003, this year still offers a splendid view. With a small telescope you can see many features like the rings, the big gap between the rings and maybe even some storms or spots on the planet. "People are speechless when they first see Saturn with their own eyes. Everyone says 'wow,' and this means I hear 'wow' in many languages here in Pasadena," said Jones. Some people can't believe they are seeing the real thing, and accuse me of placing a tiny picture in the telescope. Some people actually cry with joy. I can connect with their emotions because Saturn was the first object I looked at through my very first home-made telescope many years ago."