Collection:
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection Collection NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection Collection
Title:
Enceladus Atmosphere Not Global Title Enceladus Atmosphere Not Global Title
Original Caption Released with Image:
On July 11, 2005, the Cassini ultraviolet imaging spectrograph observed the star Bellatrix as it passed behind Enceladus, as seen from the spacecraft. The starlight was observed to dim when it got close to Enceladus, indicating the presence of an atmosphere, as illustrated in figure A. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team was able to identify water vapor as the composition of the atmosphere from absorption features in the spectrum of the star. From the depth of the absorption features, it was also possible to estimate the quantity of water vapor the starlight passed through. The colors show the undimmed star signal (blue) versus the dimmed star signal (pinkish). Enceladus' atmosphere is localized, not global in extent. As Bellatrix re-emerged from behind Enceladus, there was no dimming of the starlight observed. An occultation of the star Lambda Scorpius in February also showed no sign of an atmosphere, as illustrated in figure B. In figure A and B, the arrow marks the path of the star as it was blocked from view by Enceladus. In figure A, the dimming of the starlight shows as a gradual decrease in brightness, while in figure B the starlight drops abruptly just at the point in time that the star goes behind Enceladus. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph was built at, and the team is based at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team home page is at http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini. The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image On July 11, 2005, the Cassini ultraviolet imaging spectrograph observed the star Bellatrix as it passed behind Enceladus, as seen from the spacecraft. The starlight was observed to dim when it got close to Enceladus, indicating the presence of an atmosphere, as illustrated in figure A. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team was able to identify water vapor as the composition of the atmosphere from absorption features in the spectrum of the star. From the depth of the absorption features, it was also possible to estimate the quantity of water vapor the starlight passed through. The colors show the undimmed star signal (blue) versus the dimmed star signal (pinkish). Enceladus' atmosphere is localized, not global in extent. As Bellatrix re-emerged from behind Enceladus, there was no dimming of the starlight observed. An occultation of the star Lambda Scorpius in February also showed no sign of an atmosphere, as illustrated in figure B. In figure A and B, the arrow marks the path of the star as it was blocked from view by Enceladus. In figure A, the dimming of the starlight shows as a gradual decrease in brightness, while in figure B the starlight drops abruptly just at the point in time that the star goes behind Enceladus. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph was built at, and the team is based at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team home page is at http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini. The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . Original Caption Released with Image
Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/University of Colorado/Space Science Institute Image_Credit NASA/JPL/University of Colorado/Space Science Institute Image Credit
Produced By:
University of Colorado Produced_By University of Colorado Produced By
Mission:
Cassini Mission Cassini Mission
Spacecraft:
Cassini Orbiter Spacecraft Cassini Orbiter Spacecraft
Target Name:
Enceladus Target_Name Enceladus Target Name
Is a satellite of:
Saturn Is_a_satellite_of Saturn Is a satellite of
Instrument:
Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph Instrument Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph Instrument
Product Size:
1222 samples x 916 lines Product_Size 1222 samples x 916 lines Product Size
facet_what:
Saturn facet_what Saturn facet_what
facet_what:
Cassini facet_what Cassini facet_what
facet_what:
Enceladus facet_what Enceladus facet_what
facet_what:
Cassini Orbiter facet_what Cassini Orbiter facet_what
facet_what:
Huygens Probe facet_what Huygens Probe facet_what
facet_what:
Cassini-Huygens facet_what Cassini-Huygens facet_what
facet_what:
Scorpius facet_what Scorpius facet_what
facet_what:
BELLATRIX facet_what BELLATRIX facet_what
facet_what:
Enceladus (Saturn Moon) facet_what Enceladus (Saturn Moon) facet_what
facet_what:
Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) facet_what Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) facet_what
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory facet_where Jet Propulsion Laboratory facet_where
facet_where:
Saturn facet_where Saturn facet_where
facet_where:
California facet_where California facet_where
facet_where:
Washington facet_where Washington facet_where
facet_where:
Enceladus facet_where Enceladus facet_where
facet_where:
Colorado facet_where Colorado facet_where
facet_where:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) facet_where Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) facet_where
facet_where:
Washington, D.C. facet_where Washington, D.C. facet_where
facet_when:
July 11, 2005 facet_when July 11, 2005 facet_when
facet_when_year:
2005 facet_when_year 2005 facet_when_year
Image #:
PIA03552 Image_# PIA03552 Image #
UID:
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA03552 UID SPD-PHOTJ-PIA03552 UID
orignial url:
http://photojournal… orignial_url http://photojournal… orignial url

Enceladus Atmosphere Not Global

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Enceladus Atmosphere Not Global