Our blue planet, Earth smiled from far away distance of Saturn and posed to the wide-angle camera on NASA's Cassini spacecraft. The image captured Saturn's rings and Earth with its moon in the same frame.

"Say Cheese" Earth

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has taken a rare image on July 19, 2013 using a wide-angle camera and captured Saturn's rings. The photo also captured our very own blue planet Earth afar with its moon in the same frame. This is the third time in space history that Earth has been photographed from the outer solar system, according to NASA.

"The dark side of Saturn, its bright limb, the main rings, the F ring and the G and E rings are clearly seen; the limb of Saturn and the F ring are overexposed. The "breaks" in the brightness of Saturn's limb are due to the shadows of the rings on the globe of Saturn, preventing sunlight from shining through the atmosphere in those regions. The E and G rings have been brightened for better visibility," NASA explained.

Cassini Space Probe

The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft is a flagship class sent to the Saturn system. It studies the planet and its many natural satellites with seven primary objectives:

- Determine the 3D structure and dynamic behaviour of Saturn's rings.

- Determine the composition of the satellite's surface and each geological history.

- Determine the nature and origin of the dark material on the lapetus's leading hemisphere.

- Measure the 3D structure and dynamic behaviour of the magnetospehere

- Study the dynamic behaviour of Saturn's atmosphere at cloud level

- Study the time variability of Titan's clouds and hazes

- Characterise Titan's surface on a regional scale

Cassini spacecraft caught Earth's second smile back in 2006 in a photo NASA titled "In Saturn's Shadow - The Pale Blue Dot." The very first time Earth smiled from outer solar system was caught by Voyager 1 in 1990 titled "Pale Blue Dot."