The Seasons of Saturn by Tony Dutton

Saturn, like most planets, undergoes seasonal changes during its 29.5 year orbit around the Sun.  Some of the seasonal changes can be observed from Earth whilst other changes are more subtle and require telescopes and scientific equipment in orbit around the planet for an extended period to monitor the changes.  The tilt of the planet together with shadows cast by the planet on its rings and the shadows of the rings cast on the planet induce localised variation in temperature, pressure, velocity and subtle changes in atmospheric composition.  The presentation will discuss findings from recent research concerning Saturn’s atmosphere, ring system and largest moon, Titan, supported with ample images from the Cassini-Huygens mission.

Tony is a long-term member of the AAQ and the Director of the Solar System section of the AAQ.  His astronomy interests include planetary geology, variable stars and astrophotography.  The Apollo and Voyager missions sparked his ongoing interest in planetary geology and the amazing solar system we call home.