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Mapping Clumps in Saturn's R
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| Description |
Mapping Clumps in Saturn's Rings (annotated) |
| Full Description |
+ View Image Without Labels This false-color image of Saturn's main rings was made by combining data from multiple star occultations using the Cassini ultraviolet imaging spectrograph. During occultations, scientists observe the brightness of a star as the rings pass in front of the star. This provides a measurement of the amount of ring material between the spacecraft and the star. Cassini has given scientists the most detailed view yet of Saturn's densely packed B ring. Cassini found that this part of the rings is densely packed with clumps, called self-gravity wakes, separated by nearly empty gaps. These clumps in Saturn's B ring are neatly organized and constantly colliding, which surprised scientists. The clumps in Saturn's B ring, 30 to 50 meters (100 to 160 feet) across, are too small to be seen directly. However, scientists can map the distribution, shape and orientation of the clumps. Colors in this image indicate the orientation of clumps, and brightness indicates the density of ring particles. The formation of wakes is strongest in the bluer regions, where ring particles clump together in tilted wakes. Particles in the central yellow regions are too densely packed for any starlight to pass through. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph measured the flickering of the star Alpha Arae as it passed by the rings Nov. 9 and 10, 2006. 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 was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph was designed and built at, and the team is based at the University of Colorado, Boulder. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team home page is at http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini . Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Colorado |
| Date |
May 22, 2007 |
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Cassini to See the Sun Set a
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| Description |
Cassini to See the Sun Set and Rise on Titan |
| Full Description |
During Cassini's flyby of Titan on June 13, 2007, scientists will take advantage of a rare geometry to take detailed measurements of the atmosphere by imaging the sun as it passes behind Titan and its thick, banded atmosphere. Thanks to its onboard Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph, scientists will be able to probe the highest part of Titan's atmosphere. *Credit:* NASA/JPL |
| Date |
June 7, 2007 |
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Hyperion's Icy Surface
| Description |
Hyperion's Icy Surface |
| Full Description |
In this ultraviolet image of Hyperion, produced using data taken with Cassini's Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph during the September 2005 close flyby, brightness contrasts are due to both topographic and compositional variations across the surface. The brightest regions are exposed water ice in the rim of the crater that dominates the hemisphere in view. This new ultraviolet map (left) is shown next to a previously released image (right) taken by the Imaging Science Subsystem (see Cosmic Blasting Zone). 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 was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph was designed and 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/home/index.cfm. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team home page is at http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini. The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Colorado/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
July 4, 2007 |
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Exposing Iapetus' Dark Side
| Description |
Exposing Iapetus' Dark Side |
| Full Description |
Images taken with Cassini's ultraviolet imaging spectrograph shed some light on the dark side of Saturn's moon Iapetus. Scientists are trying to figure out what painted Iapetus' dark side. This is one of the biggest mysteries scientists are trying to answer during the upcoming Sept. 10, 2007, flyby. The ultraviolet image on the left indicates water ice abundance across the surface: the bright north polar terrain (shown in red) is the iciest region in this view. Away from the pole, as the color shifts to blue, less water ice is present in the surface. The darkest terrain, which includes very little water ice, is shown in light blue. The dark sky background viewed during the observation is shown as purple in this color scheme. The ultraviolet-light image was taken during a flyby in December 2004. A visible light image taken on the same date is shown on the right for reference (see Encountering Iapetus). 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 was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph was designed and 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/home/index.cfm. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team home page is at http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini. The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Colorado/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
September 5, 2007 |
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Two Ultraviolet Views of Iap
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| Description |
Two Ultraviolet Views of Iapetus |
| Full Description |
The far left image shows the bright-dark boundary region on Saturn's moon Iapetus at far-ultraviolet wavelengths, viewed by Cassini's ultraviolet imaging spectrograph on Sept. 10, 2007. These wavelengths represent reflected solar light and indicate where the surface is brightest and highest in water ice abundance. (Red indicates the brightest regions, purple the darkest.) The bright "Voyager Mountains", part of the equatorial ridge, are seen as bright spots against a dark background. The dark material that covers one hemisphere of Iapetus is indicated in purple and is seen on the right side of this image. The middle image is a color composite: blue-green (longer ultraviolet wavelengths) indicates where the surface is bright and probably richest in water ice. Red (short ultraviolet wavelengths) indicates where the surface is low in water ice and relatively high in dirty material. The sky background is also bright at these wavelengths, making the limb, or edge, of Iapetus where the surface is dark indistinguishable from the sky background. The image on the right, taken by the imaging science subsystem, is for reference, with the regions observed by Cassini's ultraviolet imaging spectrometer outlined in red. The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. NASA's 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 was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph was designed and 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/home/index.cfm . The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team home page is at http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini . The Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org . Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Colorado/Space Science Institute |
| Date |
October 8, 2007 |
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Saturn's Recycling Rings
| Description |
This is an artist concept of a close-up view of Saturn's ring particles. |
| Full Description |
This is an artist concept of a close-up view of Saturn's ring particles. The planet Saturn is seen in the background (yellow and brown). The particles (blue) are composed mostly of ice, but are not uniform. They clump together to form elongated, curved aggregates, continually forming and dispersing. The space between the clumps is mostly empty. The largest individual particles shown are a few meters (yards) across. 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 was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph was designed and built at, and the team is based at the University of Colorado, Boulder. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team home page is at: http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini . Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Colorado |
| Date |
December 12, 2007 |
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Staring Mitten
| Description |
artist concept and movie of the view from Cassini during the star occultation that detected |
| Full Description |
This is an artist concept and movie of the view from Cassini during the star occultation that detected "Mittens," the small object to the right of the star. As Cassini watched the star pass behind Saturn's F ring (foreground), the star blinked out when Mittens blocked it, indicating it may be a solid moonlet. 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 was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph was designed and built at, and the team is based at the University of Colorado, Boulder. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team home page is at: http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini . Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Colorado |
| Date |
December 12, 2007 |
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Mapping Clumps in Saturn's R
…
| Description |
Mapping Clumps in Saturn's Rings |
| Full Description |
+ View Annotated Image This false-color image of Saturn's main rings was made by combining data from multiple star occultations using the Cassini ultraviolet imaging spectrograph. During occultations, scientists observe the brightness of a star as the rings pass in front of the star. This provides a measurement of the amount of ring material between the spacecraft and the star. Cassini has given scientists the most detailed view yet of Saturn's densely packed B ring. Cassini found that this part of the rings is densely packed with clumps, called self-gravity wakes, separated by nearly empty gaps. These clumps in Saturn's B ring are neatly organized and constantly colliding, which surprised scientists. The clumps in Saturn's B ring, 30 to 50 meters (100 to 160 feet) across, are too small to be seen directly. However, scientists can map the distribution, shape and orientation of the clumps. Colors in this image indicate the orientation of clumps, and brightness indicates the density of ring particles. The formation of wakes is strongest in the bluer regions, where ring particles clump together in tilted wakes. Particles in the central yellow regions are too densely packed for any starlight to pass through. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph measured the flickering of the star Alpha Arae as it passed by the rings Nov. 9 and 10, 2006. 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 was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph was designed and built at, and the team is based at the University of Colorado, Boulder. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team home page is at http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini . *Credit:* NASA/JPL/University of Colorado |
| Date |
May 22, 2007 |
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Clumpy Moons
| Description |
computer simulation of the final stage of the growth of a |
| Full Description |
This is a computer simulation of the final stage of the growth of a "clump" in Saturn's rings. The gravity from a hypothesized moonlet (solid gray sphere in frame center) has collected smaller ring particles (black) to form a temporary aggregation. The particles shown in the simulation are from centimeters to meters (inches to yards) across. The gray moonlet is 61 meters (200 feet) across. 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 was designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph was designed and built at, and the team is based at the University of Colorado, Boulder. For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm. The ultraviolet imaging spectrograph team home page is at: http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini . Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Colorado |
| Date |
December 12, 2007 |
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