Cassini’s flyby of Mimas – Part 1
On February 13, 2010, Cassini flew within 9,500 kilometers of Mimas, the closest encounter yet with Saturn’s Death Star-like moon, which averages 396 kilometers in diameter. Cassini approached from the night side and retreated with a nearly full-phase view of Mimas’ leading hemisphere including the giant Herschel Crater. The highest resolution view of Herschel was obtained from a distance of about 15,000 kilometers. Two multispectral mosaics covered most of the visible disk around the crater. One of the last shots caught by Cassini’s camera shows a full-globe Mimas with the limb of Saturn as a backdrop.
High resolution mosaic of Herschel Crater
Four of the highest resolution views from Cassini’s flyby (images N00151508/20/25/44, taken from a mean distance of 20,823 kilometers) were assembled to this mosaic and show the giant Herschel Crater and its surroundings. The steep slopes of the 140 kilometers wide crater are about 5 kilometers high, and parts of the floor are approximately 10 kilometers deep. The mosaic was rotated to put north up.
(Replaced with an improved version on April 18, 2010.)
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/Mosaic by astroarts.org
Mimas in Color
Cassini was about 71,500 kilometers from Mimas when it captured the images for this false-color composite. Images taken through infrared, blue, and ultraviolet filters produce a view of the moon that emphasizes the interesting bluish-white color splotch on its leading hemisphere, centered on the giant Herschel Crater.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/astroarts.org
Closeups of Herschel Crater in Color
Images taken through infrared, blue, and ultraviolet filters produce these two detailed false-color views of Herschel Crater. The image on the right shows the southern rim of the crater from a distance of about 15,700 kilometers.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/astroarts.org
off
Battered And Cracked-up Dione
Detailed view of the cratered
and cracked surface of Dione.
Part of the cratered and cracked surface of Saturn’s moon Dione. The images used for this mosaic are clear-filter views taken by Cassini on January 27, 2010, from a distance of about 45,215 km.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/Mosaic by astroarts.org
off
"Wispy Streaks" on Saturn’s moon Rhea
Detailed view
of the wispy trailing hemisphere of Rhea.
The high-resolution images for this 16-frame mosaic across Rhea’s trailing hemisphere were taken by the Cassini spacecraft on November 21, 2009, during its 24,455-kilometer non-targeted encounter with Saturn’s second largest moon. The mosaic shows Rhea’s bright wispy terrain, marked by sets of tectonically formed ice cliffs similar to those of Saturn’s moon Dione, and a part of a large impact basin at the bottom.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/Mosaic by astroarts.org
off
Rhea – Crater Upon Crater
Close-up image of Rhea showing numerous craters.
Craters imprinted upon other craters record the long history of impacts endured by Saturn’s moon Rhea. This view looks toward the mid-southern latitudes of the Saturn-facing side of Rhea (1,528 kilometers across). The image was taken by Cassini’s narrow-angle camera on October 13, 2009, from a distance of approximately 45,000 kilometers. Image scale is 262 meters per pixel.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/astroarts.org
off
Fog in Valles Marineris
Dense, low lying fog in Valles Marineris.
Image of the western part of Valles Marineris, taken by the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on board ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft on May 25, 2004, showing dense ground fog.
This image has not yet been officially released by ESA.
Image Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin (G. Neukum)/astroarts.org
References:
A. Inada et al.: Wavelength Dependency and Angular Effects of Reflectance of Fog in Valles Marineris (PDF; 1.7 MB)
A. Inada et al.: Dust Haze in Valles Marineris observed by HRSC and OMEGA onboard Mars Express (PDF; 1.9 MB)
D. Möhlmann: Adsorption water driven processes on Mars (PDF; 1.7 MB)
off