Enceladus Backlit by Saturn
Explanation:
This moon is shining by the light of its planet.
Specifically, a large portion of Enceladus
pictured above
is illuminated primarily by sunlight first reflected from the
planet Saturn.
The result is that the normally
snow-white moon appears in the gold color of
Saturn's cloud tops.
As most of the illumination comes from the image left, a
labyrinth of ridges throws notable
shadows just to the right of the image center, while the kilometer-deep canyon
Labtayt Sulci is visible just below.
The bright thin crescent on the far right is the only part of
Enceladus
directly lit by the Sun.
The
above image
was taken last year by the robotic
Cassini spacecraft during a close pass by by the enigmatic moon.
Inspection of the lower part of this digitally sharpened image reveals
plumes of ice
crystals thought to originate in a
below-surface sea.
APOD in India:
APOD editor to
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(registration required)
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.
