The belts and zones on Saturn in schematic presentation:

recent changes of belts and zones

These images show the incredible changes in atmospheric structure at high southern latitudes between late 2004 and early 2006 (south on top)especially the South Polar Region, in both colors and structure.Another interesting difference is the thickness of the STeB.We can also interpret that as a smaller STrZ in 2006 compared to 2004(left: Nov 24, 2005, Right: Febr 2, 2006).Click for an animation:

http://www.kk-system.co.jp/Alpo/kk06/s060401rp.gif

some words about technique

All color images are obtained using a 25cm(0.25m)Newtonian reflector with a ToUcam PCVC 740k for the older images and a ToUcam PCVC 750k camera at f/24 for the newer ones.For spectral images also an ATIK instruments ATK-1HS camera is used.The degree of processing is mostly depend on circumstances like seeing quality and /or contrast of the feature.So when a spot appears to be very weak, a stronger processing is mostly applied.In that case, the rings can actually be snipped off,as images processed on maximum disk detail are mostly not suited to show good ring detail in the same image.

color observations of the Saturn atmosphere

Below: Beautiful differences in color on the Saturn globe,very rarely seen but were obtained thanks to an exellent steady air on Nov 24,  2004.The thick dark belt at 1/3 of below is the SEBn, northern and at that time darkest part of the SEB. Note the subtle color differences within this band.This is changing constantly.According to the color-differences we could divide this SEBn in an SEBn-north and SEBn-south,in which the SEBn-s looks blue and the SEBn-n is yellow-red.The mid-SEBn seems more brown-colored.The bright band below in the image is the EZ,with the EB in its mid.The EB has a brownish-red color here.Note also the orange color of the STeB at 1/3 from above.The appearance of this belt has changed a lot,see the comparison above.Another nice detail is the color difference of the STrZ with the STeZ,which looks more bluish.The typical brown-green to green-bluish color of the South Polar Region don't need to be noticed.Don't use this image as a reference to recent images.As you see in the comparison, everything is changing!(one-shot color ToUcam-rawmode image).

detail within the rings

While the Cassini-division is visible in almost all circumstances, the smaller detail like subdivisions within ring B or the Encke-division require a good seeing and a telescope with minimal 8 inch aparture.What we see from the Earth as 'subdivisions' in ring B,are actually additions of many unsolved rings A 6 inch planetary Newton can show already good detail within the B-ring.A good indication of acceptable seeing to observe smaller divisions is the bright ring just at the outside of the Cassini-division.According to own visual observations on Nov 24 , 2004 in exceptionally good seeing and with the rings still good opened,the Encke-division seems to be the most obvious structure visible beside the Cassini-division,especially at very high magnifications( 800x - 1500x on a 10 inch telescope).The moons except Titan remain pinpoints even above 1200x magnification.The shadings in the B-ring as seen in the ccd images were best seen at powers of 300-400x as they need more contrast.This image was obtained at the same night,but still does not approach the visual impressions: