This dramatic image shows Saturn's craggy moon Pandora skimming along the F ring's outer edge.
Pandora orbits about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) exterior to the ring, but in this view is projected onto the ring. The moderately high-resolution of the image reveals the moonlet's odd shape. Pandora is 84 kilometers (52 miles) across.
The image was acquired from less than a degree below the ringplane.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Oct. 29, 2005, at a distance of approximately 455,000 kilometers (283,000 miles) from Pandora. The image scale is 3 kilometers (2 miles) per pixel.
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 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 Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org.
Cassini's best close-up view of Saturn's F ring shepherd moon, Pandora, shows that this small ring-moon is coated in fine dust-sized icy material.
Craters formed on this object by impacts appear to be covered by debris, a process that probably happens rapidly in a geologic sense. The grooves and small ridges on Pandora (84 kilometers, or 52 miles across) suggest that fractures affect the overlying smooth material.
The crisp craters on another Saturn moon, Hyperion, provide a contrasting example of craters on a small object (see PIA07740).
Cassini acquired infrared, green and ultraviolet images on Sept. 5, 2005, which were combined to create this false-color view. The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera at a distance of approximately 52,000 kilometers (32,000 miles) from Pandora and at a Sun-Pandora-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 54 degrees. Resolution in the original image was about 300 meters (1,000 feet) per pixel. The image has been magnified by a factor of two to aid visibility.
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 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 Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org.
Faint ringlets abound in this view of Saturn's F and outer A rings. The F ring presents its familiar irregularities near the ring's ansa, or outermost edge. At lower right can be seen faint ringlets within the Encke Gap.
The oblong moon Pandora (84 kilometers, or 52 miles across) is overexposed in this image, due to the long exposure time necessary to see fine detail within the rings.
This view looks toward the unilluminated side of the rings from about 1 degree above the ringplane.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on March 4, 2008. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 1.3 million kilometers (784,000 miles) from Pandora and at a Sun-Pandora-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 10 degrees. Image scale is 8 kilometers (5 miles) per pixel.
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 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 Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org.
Voir l'image PIA09877: Narrow Ice Lanes sur le site de la NASA.
Less intrusive than her sibling shepherd moon, Pandora nonetheless provides a gravitational influence that helps confine and perturb the F ring's shape.
See PIA07632 for a high resolution view of Pandora (84 kilometers, or 52 miles across).
Also notable here is the brightness of the region of the outer A ring which lies outside the very narrow Keeler gap.
This view looks toward the unlit side of the rings from about 38 degrees above the ringplane.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Oct. 16, 2006 at a distance of approximately 2 million kilometers (1.2 million miles) from Pandora and at a Sun-Pandora-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 157 degrees. Image scale is 12 kilometers (7 miles) per pixel.
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 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 Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org.
This view of the unlit side of Saturn's rings captures the small shepherd moon Pandora as it swings around the outside of the F ring. The F ring displays a few discrete bright clumps here.
This view looks toward the rings from about 24 degrees above the ringplane. Pandora is 84 kilometers (52 miles) across.
The image was taken in visible green light with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Dec. 15, 2006 at a distance of approximately 680,000 kilometers (422,000 miles) from Saturn. Image scale is 37 kilometers (23 miles) per pixel.
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 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 Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org.
Saturn's moon Pandora is almost overwhelmed by the brightness of the F ring in this view. The F ring's bright core displays kinks and is flanked by fainter ringlets. Imaging scientists recently determined these fainter ringlets to be a single spiral ring that winds around the planet. Pandora is 84 kilometers (52 miles) across.
Pandora is faintly lit by "Saturnshine," or reflected light from the planet, and few features can be seen here. This image was acquired by Cassini exactly three hours after the spacecraft took the image seen in PIA07601, which showed Prometheus interior to the F ring.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Aug. 21, 2005, at a distance of approximately 583,000 kilometers (362,000 miles) from Saturn and at a high Sun-Saturn-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 136 degrees. Resolution in the original image was 3 kilometers (2 miles) per pixel.
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 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. For additional images visit the Cassini imaging team homepage http://ciclops.org.
Across the darkened expanse of Saturn's rings, the Cassini spacecraft spies one of the F-ring shepherd moons.
Pandora (84 kilometers, or 52 miles across) orbits Saturn just beyond the outer edges of the F ring. Close to the planet, the image of the rings is slightly distorted by Saturn's upper atmosphere.
This view looks toward the unilluminated side of the rings from about 8 degrees above the ringplane. At lower right, ring shadows are cast upon the planet.
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 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 Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org.
Voir l'image PIA09807: Spotting the Shepherd sur le site de la NASA.
Pandora loops around Saturn, confining the narrow F ring as it goes. Craters are visible on the moon's surface in this view.
See PIA07632 for a closer view of Pandora (84 kilometers, or 52 miles across).
This view looks toward the unilluminated side of the rings from about 40 degrees above the ringplane. The outer edge of the A ring and its Keeler Gap are at upper right. A background star is seen here, just left of the F ring.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on March 20, 2008. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 1.3 million kilometers (786,000 miles) from Pandora and at a Sun-Pandora-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 56 degrees. Image scale is 8 kilometers (5 miles) per pixel.
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 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 Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org.
Voir l'image PIA09891: Ring Escort sur le site de la NASA.
While close to Saturn in its orbit, Cassini stared directly at the planet to find Saturn's moon Pandora in the field of view. The F ring shepherd moon is gliding towards the right in this scene. The F ring is thinly visible just above the main rings. Pandora is 84 kilometers (52 miles) across.
Near the lower left, some variation in the height of Saturn's cloud tops can be detected. This effect is often visible near the terminator (the day and night boundary), where the Sun is at a very low angle above Saturn's horizon.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on July 16, 2005, at a distance of approximately 1.3 million kilometers (800,000 miles) from Saturn. The image scale is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) per pixel on Saturn and about 6 kilometers (4 miles) per pixel on Pandora.
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 imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo.
For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. For additional images visit the Cassini imaging team homepage http://ciclops.org.
Saturn's moon Prometheus chases Pandora in this Cassini view, but the outcome of their race has already been decided by gravity. Prometheus orbits closer to Saturn and thus moves faster than does Pandora.
Prometheus is 102 kilometers (63 miles) across. Pandora is 84 kilometers (52 miles) across.
This view is from a third of a degree beneath the ringplane. Familiar ring features that are visible from higher angles above the rings are foreshortened here. The planet's dark shadow stretches across the ringplane at center.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Sept. 8, 2005, at a distance of approximately 1.8 million kilometers (1.1 million miles) from Saturn. The image scale is 10 kilometers (6 miles) per pixel on Prometheus and Pandora.
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 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 Cassini imaging team homepage is at http://ciclops.org.
This is one of Cassini's closest views to date of Saturn's F ring shepherd moon Pandora. At least one crater is visible on the surface of this moon, which is thought to be an icy rubble pile, loosely bound together by gravity. Pandora is 84 kilometers (52 miles) across.
Several of Saturn's ring moons, including Pandora, show elongated, oval-like shapes (see PIA07523) with their long axes oriented along the moon-Saturn line. In this view, Cassini is looking at the side of Pandora facing away from Saturn. The image shows the moon's leading hemisphere (although, as mentioned, Pandora is not actually round). To the right, much of the moon's surface is in shadow.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on May 20, 2005, at a distance of approximately 346,000 kilometers (215,000 miles) from Pandora and at a Sun-Pandora-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 21 degrees. Resolution in the original image was 2 kilometers (1 mile) per pixel. The view was magnified by a factor of two and contrast-enhanced to aid visibility of the moon's surface.
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 imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo.
For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov. For additional images visit the Cassini imaging team homepage http://ciclops.org.
Saturn's moon Pandora glides in front of the narrow F ring, making the moon's oblong outline visible. The image also shows the A ring, Cassini Division, B ring, and part of the C ring. This view is from beneath the ring plane. Pandora is 84 kilometers (52 miles) across.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Aug. 23, 2005, at a distance of approximately 1.6 million kilometers (1 million miles) from Pandora and at a Sun-Pandora-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 97 degrees. Resolution in the original image was 9 kilometers (6 miles) per pixel.
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 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. For additional images visit the Cassini imaging team homepage http://ciclops.org.
Pandora is seen in this dramatic view, orbiting just beyond the outer edge of Saturn's F ring. Several bright areas are visible within the F ring. In the main rings, the Keeler gap and the Encke gap, with a bright ringlet, are also visible. Pandora is 84 kilometers (52 miles) across.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Feb. 18, 2005, at a distance of approximately 1.2 million kilometers (746,000 miles) from Pandora and at a Sun-Pandora-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 108 degrees. The image scale is 7 kilometers (4 miles) per pixel.
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 imaging team is based at the Space Science Institute, Boulder, Colo.
For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov and the Cassini imaging team home page, http://ciclops.org.