Posted on 02/05/2023 1:02:26 PM PST by MtnClimber
Explanation: This moon is shining by the light of its planet. Specifically, a large portion of Enceladus pictured here is illuminated primarily by sunlight first reflected from the planet Saturn. The result is that the normally snow-white moon appears in the gold color of Saturn's cloud tops. As most of the illumination comes from the image left, a labyrinth of ridges throws notable shadows just to the right of the image center, while the kilometer-deep canyon Labtayt Sulci is visible just below. The bright thin crescent on the far right is the only part of Enceladus directly lit by the Sun. The featured image was taken in 2011 by the robotic Cassini spacecraft during a close pass by the enigmatic moon. Inspection of the lower left part of this digitally sharpened image reveals plumes of ice crystals thought to originate in a below-surface sea.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
Humbling...for sure.
That cassini probe was the greatest unmanned spacecraft ever built. I wonder if we will ever be able to do something like that again.
Just going from memory, but Enceladus is the moon creating one entire ring around Saturn with some volcanic activity. It has a spouting water geyser I think.
Yes, I believe that as well. Makes me wonder how thick that outer shell of ice is, and what’s UNDER it. (Is it an ocean? If it IS, is there anything living in it?)
That collection of ridges resembles a Chinese character..............
BTTT
APOD ping!
You can actually see the geysers in the lower left of the image above.
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