June 12 2007 Icy Moons (rev 46) |
June 12 2007 Icy Moons (rev 46) |
Jun 6 2007, 07:35 AM
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#1
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1887 Joined: 20-November 04 From: Iowa Member No.: 110 |
Rev 46 description available at CICLOPS
http://ciclops.org/view.php?id=3245 Some highlights: Cassini will observe Mimas, the innermost of the mid-sized icy satellites of Saturn June 12, Cassini makes one of its closest passes of the small, inner satellite Atlas, at a distance of only 38,000 km (24,000 mi). With an average diameter of only 31 km (19 mi), Atlas is one of the smallest moons of Saturn. Atlas will only appear to be 120 pixels across (at the equator). However, these images may still provide important clues about the formation of one of the most distinguishing aspects of the tiny satellite: its equatorial bulge. The bulge is thought to have been created by material from Saturn’s A ring being deposited preferentially along the equator of the satellite. A number of observations are dedicated to observing some of Saturn's small moons, in order to refine scientists' estimates of their orbital paths. These sequences include observations of some of Saturn's outer satellites, such as Paaliaq, Hati, and S/2004 S13 I've seen a few of these small outer moons listed recently on the raw image page. They search tool only shows them from the last few orbits. Is this something new they are doing or have they been previously listed as Sky? |
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Jun 13 2007, 06:02 PM
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#16
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Member Group: Members Posts: 655 Joined: 22-January 06 Member No.: 655 |
Fascinating little moon - looks like it's been hoovering up ring particles for aeons. Small point, but the distance to target quoted (180,000km) is clearly not correct - these shots are a helluva lot closer than that. I hope we get some additional shots later in the mission with a different viewing geometry. Thanks Ian R for the stacked and cleaned image - very nice.
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Jun 13 2007, 06:06 PM
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#17
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 3233 Joined: 11-February 04 From: Tucson, AZ Member No.: 23 |
The distance is around 42,000 km.
-------------------- &@^^!% Jim! I'm a geologist, not a physicist!
The Gish Bar Times - A Blog all about Jupiter's Moon Io |
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Jun 13 2007, 07:48 PM
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#18
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Member Group: Members Posts: 153 Joined: 14-August 06 Member No.: 1041 |
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Jun 13 2007, 08:32 PM
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#19
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2492 Joined: 15-January 05 From: center Italy Member No.: 150 |
Thanks Ian for the beautiful Atlas staked image.
Is one of the oddest and most fascinating things I ever looked to! -------------------- I always think before posting! - Marco -
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Jun 13 2007, 09:45 PM
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#20
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SewingMachine Group: Members Posts: 316 Joined: 27-September 05 From: Seattle Member No.: 510 |
Very nice Ian!
Here's an enlarged version of the what I think is the best prior view of Atlas from June 2005 for anyone who hasn't already seen it. Pretty sure south is at the top in this one. -------------------- ...if you don't like my melody, i'll sing it in a major key, i'll sing it very happily. heavens! everybody's all aboard? let's take it back to that minor chord...
Exploitcorporations on Flickr (in progress) : https://www.flickr.com/photos/135024395@N07/ |
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Jun 13 2007, 10:14 PM
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#21
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Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 29-December 05 From: NE Oh, USA Member No.: 627 |
Yes, thanks Ian...
This is just stunning!!!! Wish I could crawl (what would the word be for pulling one self along a moonlet so small we are talking microgravity... you poets out there... can you find a word??? Stu???) along that polar cusp and watch ring material "fall" along the equator like an eternal snow squall ... would almost beat out hiking Headlands!!!!!! WOW. Craig |
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Jun 13 2007, 10:48 PM
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#22
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
(what would the word be for pulling one self along a moonlet so small we are talking microgravity... you poets out there... can you find a word??? Stu???) Craig Hmmm... "bellying"? or, with all those teeny bits of rock and dust scruffling under you, how about "skree-ping"? Or, thinking back to the movies... "Golluming"? -------------------- |
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Jun 13 2007, 11:35 PM
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#23
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Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 5172 Joined: 4-August 05 From: Pasadena, CA, USA, Earth Member No.: 454 |
My own versions of the two best Atlas images to date, blogged today. I'm not convinced that my putting them in color brought anything to the party...
--Emily -------------------- My website - My Patreon - @elakdawalla on Twitter - Please support unmannedspaceflight.com by donating here.
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Jun 13 2007, 11:36 PM
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#24
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Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 29-December 05 From: NE Oh, USA Member No.: 627 |
"Golluming"
I like that. I am sure a whole new vocabulary will evolve when people actually get around to golluming moonlets like this..... similar to terms used in moutain climbing, only these mountains are flying. The trick willl be to stay in contact rather than just float along. Edging and smearing along the spindrift and scree, and not become a permanent addition to the gravel pit. And in the vicinity of rings, kevlar suits will be mandatory (any one know the velocity of ice grains colliding and adding to this moonlets girth?)... sorry Doug... I know this speculaton and dreaming is way off topic.... but sometimes cannot help but muse what fun our descendants may have.... about which we can only imagine... Craig |
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Jun 13 2007, 11:44 PM
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#25
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Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 29-December 05 From: NE Oh, USA Member No.: 627 |
Emily...
I like the color.... definitely adds to the party... assume the blue specks along the pole are artifacts..... Atlas seems to be swirling himself together like wrapping a turban around his girth. I will bet this moonlet has changed it's aspect many times since the rings were born..... Craig |
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Jun 13 2007, 11:47 PM
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#26
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Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 29-December 05 From: NE Oh, USA Member No.: 627 |
Emily... just looked at your blog and got the answer to my blue spots... I should read before I comment...
Craig |
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Jun 14 2007, 12:08 AM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1281 Joined: 18-December 04 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 124 |
brought anything to the party... Hmmm, you don't happen to be a Good Eats fan, do you? The color makes it seem more like being there, which is always a good thing for us enthusiasts. -------------------- Lyford Rome
"Zis is not nuts, zis is super-nuts!" Mathematician Richard Courant on viewing an Orion test |
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Jun 14 2007, 12:21 AM
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Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 5172 Joined: 4-August 05 From: Pasadena, CA, USA, Earth Member No.: 454 |
In fact I am a Good Eats fan -- didn't realize I was parroting Alton Brown there!
I'll bet AB was a fan of Mr. Wizard too. --Emily -------------------- My website - My Patreon - @elakdawalla on Twitter - Please support unmannedspaceflight.com by donating here.
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Guest_AlexBlackwell_* |
Jun 14 2007, 12:26 AM
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#29
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Guests |
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Jun 14 2007, 04:12 AM
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#30
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8784 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Hmmm... "bellying"? or, with all those teeny bits of rock and dust scruffling under you, how about "skree-ping"? Or, thinking back to the movies... "Golluming"? Gotta add: "skimming". Let's say, and why not, that you're in a spacesuit on the surface of this moon with which you have barely any gravitational connection. You reach out in front of you to a small encrusted projection, barely a minor ridge within your formerly terrestrial frame of reference but a mountain here...and you pull on it as if you were diving along a coral reef...and you move with surprising velocity over the snowy surface, at an altitude of centimeters, looking for the next ridge to shove you ever onward... Blissful. A deep dream come alive. Float almost effortlessly across a surface, and scoop a handful of the rings of Saturn as you pass by, glance up and see Saturn huge in front of you, the major moons as bright stars or perhaps barely resolvable tiny crescents if you're particularly lucky...who could want anything more? -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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