Grand Finale part 1, F ring orbits |
Grand Finale part 1, F ring orbits |
Nov 29 2016, 11:03 PM
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#1
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
With its second to last swing by Titan the curtain has now opened on Cassini's final act. What wonders will we see in the rings?
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Jan 18 2017, 08:06 AM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2087 Joined: 13-February 10 From: Ontario Member No.: 5221 |
So much to unpack in that image. Bizarre shape (are those ridges?) and those 'streamers'? And what is that shadow on the sunlit side? Surely not something popping up from the surface, right? Or is it even a shadow, or some sort of dark material on the surface?
Such a 'grainy' texture to the rings as well, are we on the verge of resolving the largest of the individual particles (maybe those specks on the edges of the gap?). What sort of resolution is it? I know we won't get views like this for a long time after September, but I can't even fathom where one would get started on designing a dedicated ring mission... |
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Jan 18 2017, 07:41 PM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 655 Joined: 22-January 06 Member No.: 655 |
Such a 'grainy' texture to the rings as well, are we on the verge of resolving the largest of the individual particles (maybe those specks on the edges of the gap?). What sort of resolution is it? Unfortunately I think that Cassini is a long way away from resolving the ring particles here, and won't be capable during the mission of achieving that. For context the Keeler gap is ~40km wide, and Daphnis is 8km along its longest axis. I think the grainy texture is clumping of smaller ring particles. |
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