Enlarge Image NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

A windy day on Earth is no comparison to a windy day on Saturn. The ringed planet is home to terrifying winds that can top 1,100 mph (1,800 kph). NASA describes them as "some of the fastest in the solar system." A Cassini image released Monday shows what those winds do to Saturn's atmosphere.

Cassini sneaked a peek through the gas giant's hazy outer region by imaging the planet at infrared wavelengths. NASA poetically notes "the high-speed winds of Saturn's atmosphere produce watercolor-like patterns."

Cassini snapped the image in December at a distance of 592,000 miles (953,000 kilometers) from Saturn. The spacecraft, a joint project from NASA, European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, launched in 1997 and is due to end its mission later this year by plunging into Saturn's atmosphere.