Rev 009 Observations Options

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

Atmospheric diffraction?

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/imag...eiImageID=41650

[um3k]

Atmospheric diffraction?

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/imag...eiImageID=41650

No, atmospheric refraction.

[um3k]

Here are some color images.



Attachment id is #666!

[Decepticon]

Wonder if we will see Hyperion data this weekend?

Very curious as to what this moon looks like close up.

[tedstryk]

Here is a crude mosaic of some of the Dione images. Gosh it looks like Ariel.

[Phil Stooke]

Orientation can't be judged from one image, and I'm pretty sure the one resolved Voyager image shows a long axis pointing towards Saturn - consistent with that, anyway. I think we are seeing Atlas end-on here, or nearly so, and the dimension we don't see is the longer one towards Saturn. Anyway, bulk density or composition would not affect orientation.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Hmmm... the least badly stretched of these new Hyperion images - those available to us as I write, taken from about 750 000 km, - look to me as if they show a couple of grooves or fractures. One roughly horizontal in the image, one roughly vertical, crossing near the center. (I'm away from my beloved Photoshop right now so I can't play with and post the pic). In a paper a few years ago I said I thought I could see grooves in the best Voyager images - very near the limit of resolution, so uncertain. But it will be interesting to see tomorrow's new images. Maybe they will confirm it... maybe not!

Phil

[Decepticon]

From the current images I've noticed very little craters. Than again that could be from lack of resolution.

I expect some big surprises with the new images!

[alan]

I did some reading on tidal forces. In addition to the tides that try to stretch an object toward and away from a planet there are weaker ones that squeeze it in the other directions. Applying this to Atlas I came up with this idea. Because of the tides material from the rings accumulates along its equator ( I'm calling the ends closest to and farthest from Saturn the poles for now ) It is less dense than Atlas so it is able to build up. Eventually it builds up enough that gravity tips Atlas so the longer end is again pointing toward Saturn. When this happens the tides pull the loose material off the new 'poles' because it is inside the roche limit. The material from the inside is moving too slow to stay at Atlas' radius so it falls a short distance in forming a thin ring. The material on the outside does the opposite. Applying the same to Pan could create the faint ring visible inside it.

Disclaimer: the above theory is based on a little information and a lot of imagination. Any similarity between it and reallity is purely coincidental.

[Decepticon]

Looks like Hyperion Images are going up.


Anyone who is up tonight can keep an eye out!
http://saturn1.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/ima...heQ=0&storedQ=0


Note : It's almost 24hrs since I first noticed images posted with broken links.

Does anyone see the images?
It's odd, descriptions are there but no pic?!

[SFJCody]

Looks like Hyperion Images are going up.

Does anyone see the images?
It's odd, descriptions are there but no pic?!

They're here now. But even the close ones are poorly stretched.

[Phil Stooke]

Here are some of the best new Hyperion images.




This looks like the side opposite that seen by Voyager, all new territory. Alas, no sign of the grooves I suspected... can't win them all. Lots of interesting dark crater floors though. That mottled appearance was just visible in Voyager images, but of course nothing like this.

Phil

[Decepticon]

This really looks different than the other smaller moons.


Notice the dark Stuff at the bottom of the crater. Mmmm wonder what that is?


Wow!

[tedstryk]

Here are some of the best new Hyperion images.




This looks like the side opposite that seen by Voyager, all new territory.  Alas, no sign of the grooves I suspected... can't win them all.  Lots of interesting dark crater floors though.  That mottled appearance was just visible in Voyager images, but of course nothing like this.

Phil

I wonder what the mottled features are, particualarly the dark spots. I can't wait to see non-stretched versions. I think there are some hints of groves on the terminator in some images, such as http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/imag...1/N00035388.jpg
I think the jury is still out, at least until we have more complete coverage or more balanced versions of these images, although they certainly aren't huge on this part of Hyperion. I know it is superficial and that the composition and scale we are dealing with are incredibly different, but damn Hyperion looks like Phobos.

[Phil Stooke]

Sorry to clutter things up but this is a more complete set of images from the Hyperion flyby.

Phil