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| Today's APOD |
By Will Collette
Besides politics, I've had a lifelong interest in astronomy (actually wanted to be one when I was a kid and before I realized I sucked at math).
Some years back, I stumbled on to the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) site run by NASA. Each day, they post a different photo that could be from anywhere in the universe, and offer a quick explanation along with links to more detailed and technical explanations. I faithfully check this site every morning.
Earlier this week, they posted a shot of Saturn's rings and several of its moons that stunned me. The composition struck me as worthy of an exhibition of fine photography.
The photo in all its glory is after the jump, along with the accompanying narrative.
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| Click to enlarge |
Image Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, ISS, JPL, ESA, NASA
Explanation: A fourth moon is visible on the above image if you look hard enough. First -- and farthest in the background -- is Titan, the largest moon of Saturn and one of the larger moons in the Solar System. The dark feature across the top of this perpetually cloudy world is the north polar hood. The next most obvious moon is bright Dione, visible in the foreground, complete with craters and long ice cliffs. Jutting in from the left are several of Saturn's expansive rings, including Saturn's A ring featuring the dark Encke Gap. On the far right, just outside the rings, is Pandora, a moon only 80-kilometers across that helps shepherd Saturn's F ring. The fourth moon? If you look closely in the Encke Gap you'll find a speck that is actually Pan. Although one of Saturn's smallest moons at 35-kilometers across, Pan is massive enough to help keep the Encke gap relatively free of ring particles.