Unusual Layers on Saturns Moon Phoebe
Explanation:
What caused the unusual light and dark layers on
Saturn's moon
Phoebe?
The layers were discovered just Friday during the
Cassini spacecraft flyby of the small moon.
Such layering is particularly evident on the
crater just above the image center,
where alternating light and dark material makes this crater appear
particularly structured.
Cassini scientists
speculate that such layering
might result from an
impact where a dark surface layer becomes intertwined
with a lighter subsurface ice layer.
The
above image spans about 80 kilometers
and was taken when
Cassini
was only about 13,000 kilometers from
Phoebe.
At the end of June, the Cassini spacecraft will be instructed to
fire its thrusters to decelerate into orbit around
Saturn.
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.
