Cosmic race: Prometheus and Pandora

Saturn's moon Prometheus (Sx) chases Pandora (Dx) in this Cassini view, but the outcome of their race has already been decided by gravity. Prometheus orbits closer to Saturn and thus moves faster than does Pandora. This view is from a third of a degree (1/3°) beneath the Ringplane. Familiar Ring features that are visible from higher angles above the Rings are foreshortened here. The Planet's dark shadow stretches across the Ringplane at center.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Sept. 8, 2005, at a distance of approx. 1,8 MKM (such as about 1,1 MMs) from Saturn. The image scale is 10 Km (about 6 miles) per pixel on Prometheus and Pandora.