Cassini image nothing short of sublime

This high-resolution photo of Saturn taken by NASA’s Cassini robotic orbiter is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Captured from the dark side of the ringed planet as the Sun’s rays illuminated every piece of dust and debris circling Saturn, the photo appears surreal.

While one might quibble with the price tag associated with the Cassini probe – more than $3.25 billion – there’s no question the program has sent back a wealth of information, along with some unforgettable images of space.

(Photo from NASA.)

Russian dropped by main Kazakh tv station

Kazakhstan’s main state-owned television station has stopped broadcasting in Russian despite its status as an official language in the Central Asian nation.

State-owned Kazakhstan-1 had shown roughly one-quarter of its programs in Russian, but President Nursultan Nazarbayev ordered it to begin broadcasting only in Kazakh as of Sept. 1.

The move is the latest in a long-running push by Kazakhstan to promote Kazakh, a Turkic language, over the language of its former master, according to The Telegraph.

Khabar, another state-owned television station, continues to broadcast Russian language programs, the publication added.