Saturn's Moon Dione
Credit & Copyright: NASA,
Voyager 1,
Copyright Calvin J. Hamilton
Explanation:
Dione, one of
Saturn's larger moons, is remarkable for its
bright surface streaks. These streaks run across some of Dione's many
craters, which indicate that the process which created the streaks occurred
later than the process which created the craters.
Dione
is made of mostly water ice but its relatively high density indicates that
it contains much rock inside. Dione was discovered by Giovanni Cassini in
1684. NASA's
Cassini
mission to Saturn is currently scheduled for launch in
October 1997. Dione's orbit is remarkable it that it also houses the much
smaller moon
Helene.
This moon, once designated "Dione B", precedes Dione by about 1/6th of an
orbit.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
