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| Ultimi arrivi - Saturn: the "Ringed Beauty" and His Moons |
Saturn-PIA14656-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgThe restless Saturnian Atmosphere (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)99 visiteThe always richly dynamic Atmosphere of Saturn rewards - once again - its observers by showing unique and fascinating (even though just temporary) Cloud Structures and Formations. Here, the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft used the Near-InfraRed filters on its Wide-Angle Camera to get a better look at some of Saturn's Cloud Patterns, which are continuously shaped (and re-shaped, restlessly) by the powerful Winds and Storms that keep blowing and forming, respectively, in the Upper Atmosphere of the ringed Gas-Giant Planet.
The view is centered at 30° North Latitude and 42° West Longitude; North is up and rotated 44° to the right. The image was taken with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft Wide-Angle Camera on December 24, 2012, using a spectral filter sensitive to wavelengths of Near-InfraRed Light centered at 752 nanometers. The image was acquired at a distance of approximately 440.000 miles (such as about 708.000 Km) from the top of Saturn's Clouds and at a Sun-Saturn-CASSINI Spacecraft, or Phase, Angle of 14°. Image scale is roughly 26 miles (such as 41,84 Km) per pixel.
This picture (which is an Original NASA - Cassini Spacecraft b/w frame published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal and identified by the n. PIA 14656) has been additionally processed and then colorized, according to an educated guess carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga (LXTT-IPF), in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Gas-Giant Planet Saturn), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements present in the Upper Atmosphere of Saturn, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.
Note: it is possible (but we, as IPF, have no way to be one-hundred-percent sure of such a circumstance), that the actual luminosity of the Clouds and Hazes (as well as the luminosity of Saturn itself) seen in this frame would appear, to an average human eye, way lower than it has been shown (or, better yet: interpreted) here.MareKromiumApr 20, 2013
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Telesto-PIA07702-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgTiny Telesto (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)72 visiteThe NASA - Cassini Spacecraft passed within a cosmic "stone's throw" (---> meaning very close, in cosmic terms) from the Saturnian moon Telesto in October of the AD 2005, capturing this shot of this tiny Trojan moon. Telesto (which is approx. 24 Km, such as a little less than 15 miles across) appears to be mantled in fine, Icy (and/or "Dusty") Material, although a few shallow Impact Craters and some Rocky Outcrops (and/or large Boulders) are visible. Its smooth Surface does not appear to retain the record of intense cratering that most of Saturn's other moons possess.
The original image was taken in Polarized Green Light with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft Narrow-Angle Camera on October 11, 2005, at a distance of approximately 14.500 Km (such as a little more than 9004 miles) from Telesto. The image scale is roughly 86 meters (283 feet) per pixel.
This picture (which is an Original NASA - CASSINI Spacecraft b/w frame published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 07702) has been additionally processed and then colorized, according to an educated guess carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga (LXXT/IPF), in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - CASSINI Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Saturnian moon, Telesto), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among other things, the existence of different Elements (Minerals) present on the Surface of Telesto, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromiumMar 22, 2013
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Japetus-PIA08384-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgEngelier Crater (CTX Frame and EDM in Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)104 visiteThe NASA - Cassini Spacecraft captured, in the month of September of the AD 2007, the first High-Resolution glimpse of the bright Trailing Hemisphere of Saturn's moon Japetus. This Absolute Natural Color image-mosaic shows the entire Hemisphere of Japetus that was visible from the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft on the outbound leg of its encounter with the two-toned moon. Also shown here is the complicated Transition Region of Japetus (meaning the Region which is located in-between its Dark Leading Hemisphere and the Bright Trailing one). This Region, visible along the right side of the image, was observed in many of the images acquired by Cassini near the closest approach of the encounter.
Revealed here for the first time in detail are the Geologic Structures that mark the Trailing Hemisphere of Japetus. The Region appears to be Heavily Cratered, particularly in the North and South Polar Regions of the moon. Near the top of the mosaic, numerous Impact Features that hade been already caught in several frames obtained by the NASA - Voyager 2 Spacecraft during the Fly-By of Japetus that took place in the AD 1981, are well visible, including the Impact Craters Ogier and Charlemagne. However, the most prominent Topographic Feature in this view, in the bottom half of the mosaic, is the approx. 450-Km (such as about 280-miles) wide Engelier Impact Basin: one of at least 9 (nine) huge Impact Basins found on Japetus. In fact, the Engelier Impact Basin overlaps an older, similar-sized Impact Basin located to its South/East.
In many places of Japetus, the Dark Material (that is thought to be composed of Nitrogen-bearing Organic Compounds - called "Cyanides" -, as well as by Hydrated Minerals and other Carbonaceous Minerals) seems to "coat" the Equator-facing Slopes as well as the Floor of the Impact Basin. The distribution of this Dark Material as well as the variations in the color of the Bright Material that is spread all across the Trailing Hemisphere, will be crucial clues to solve (or, at least, ro clarify) if we really want to get a better understanding of the origin of Japetus' extremely peculiar bright-dark dual personality.
The view was acquired with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft Narrow-Angle Camera on September 10, 2007, at a distance of about 73.000 Km (such as approx. 45.333 miles) from Japetus. This mosaic consists of 60 images covering 15 footprints across the Surface of Japetus. The view is an Orthographic Projection of the Saturnian moon that has been centered at 10,8° South Latitude, 246,5° West Longitude and which has a resolution of 426 meters (0,26 miles) per pixel. An Orthographic Projection (like this one) is something like the view that a distant observer would get by looking at a given Celestial Object through a telescope.
This frame (which is an Original NASA - Cassini Spacecraft false-color image mosaic published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 08384) has been additionally processed, contrast enhanced, and then re-colorized in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the bright Trailing Hemisphere of the Saturnian moon Japetus), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements present on the Surface of Japetus, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.
Note: in the EDM (upper Right Side of the image-mosaic), a view of the Terrain located in the Transition Zone of Japetus. The Bright Material visible on the frozen Surface of Japetus is, most likely, Water Ice, while the Dark Material is, probably, a Carbonaceous Mineral.MareKromiumMar 11, 2013
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Saturn-PIA10413-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgNorthern Swirls (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)72 visiteSinuous and swirling Clouds (which appear to be extremely dense) and Hurricane-sized Vortices, mingle in Saturn's Northern Skies (in fact, this view looks toward a Region of Saturn that is located at about 70° North Latitude). Despite the level of detail that is visible here, the Region shown in today's APOD is wide enough to contain the planet Mars comfortably.
The image was taken with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft's CB1 Spectral Filter, which is sensitive to Wavelengths of Visible Red Light centered at 619 nanometers. The view was acquired with the Spacecraft's Narrow-Angle Camera on May 23, 2008 at a distance of approximately 1,2 Million KiloMeters (such as about 745.200 miles) from Saturn. Image scale is roughly 7 Km (about 4,3 miles) per pixel.
This frame (which is a NASA - CASSINI Spacecraft Original b/w frame published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal and identified by the serial n. PIA 10413) has been additionally processed and then colorized, according to an educated guess carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga (LXTT-IPF), in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Upper Atmosphere of Satun), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements in the Upper Atmosphere of Satun, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromiumMar 11, 2013
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Rhea-PIA14647-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgCrescent Rhea (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)72 visiteThe NASA - Cassini Spacecraft captured, about four months ago, Saturn's moon Rhea during its Crescent Phase: a view, this one, which will never be visible from Earth. Near the Terminator, a few of Rhea's many Impact Craters show up their sharp and well defined outlines. With a diameter of approx. 950 miles (such as almost 1529 Km) Rhea is the Saturnian second-largest moon. This view looks toward the Leading Hemisphere of Rhea; North is up and rotated 12° to the right.
The image was taken in Visible Light with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft Narrow-Angle Camera on November 6, 2012. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 1,2 Million Miles (such as about 1,93 Million KiloMeters) from Rhea and at a Sun-Rhea-Cassini Spacecraft, or Phase, Angle of 129°. Scale in the original image was roughly 7 miles (approx. 11,26 Km) per pixel but, afterwards, the picture was magnified by a factor of 1.5 in order to enhance the visibility of some Surface Features.
This picture (which is an Original NASA - Cassini Spacecraft b/w frame published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 14647) has been additionally processed, magnified (by applying a further 4.01 enlargement's factor) and then colorized, according to an educated guess carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga (LXTT-IPF), in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Saturnian moon Rhea), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements present on the Surface of Rhea, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromiumMar 11, 2013
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Mimas-PIA12572-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgIn and around the Magnificent Herschel Crater (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga - Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)75 visiteRemarkable color differences on the Saturnian moon Mimas are apparent in this (enhanced) Absolute Natural Color view of Herschel Crater that was captured by the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft during its closest (so far) Fly-By of that Celestial Body which occurred on February 13, 2010. The image shows Terrain-dependent color variations and, in particular, the contrast between the light-gray (with slightly pale blue nuances) Surface Materials which are found in and around Herschel Crater and the brownish cast that, on the other hand, is found on older and more heavily Cratered Terrain elsewhere.
The origin of the color differences between these two types of Terrain is not yet understood, but it is quite logical to assume that it should be caused by the existence of some considerable differences in the Surface Elements which form the Terrains themselves (and a few false color images which were obtained from Cassini's previous closest encounter with Mimas, during the AD 2005, also showed such variations, which are, therefore, something real and NOT a simple optical effect caused, for instance, by the Illumination Geometry existing at the time whan the different pictures were taken). The huge Herschel Crater (approx. 130 Km, or a little more than 80 miles, wide) covers most of the bottom of the image.
To create the original false-color view of Mimas, UltraViolet, Green and InfraRed images were combined into a single picture that was fit to exaggerate the color differences of the photographed Terrains; these data were then combined with a High-Resolution image taken in Visible Light so to obtain a mix between the High-Resolution information coming from the Clear-Filter image and the color information coming from the UltraViolet, Green and InfraRed filter images.
During the Fly-By, the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft came within about 9500 Km (such as about 5900 miles) of Mimas and this view looks toward the Northern part of the Hemisphere that leads the moon in its orbit around Saturn (---> Leading Hemisphere, in contrast with the Trailing Hemisphere). The images were obtained with Cassini's Narrow-Angle Camera at a distance of approximately 16.000 Km (such as 9936 miles) from Mimas. Afterwards, the images were re-projected into an Orthographic Map Projection. Furthermore, a black and white image, taken in Visible Light with the Wide-Angle Camera, was also used to fill in parts of the mosaic. The global scale of the mosaic is 90 meters (295 feet) per pixel.
This frame (which is an Original NASA - Cassini Spacecraft false color image mosaic published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 12572) has been additionally processed, contrast enhanced, and then re-colorized in (slightly enhanced) Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Surface and Limb of the Saturnian moon Mimas), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements present on the Surface of Mimas, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromiumFeb 24, 2013
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Dione-N00199629-33-EB-MF-LXTT-IPF.jpgThe Many faces of Dione (Superdefinition and Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Elisabetta Bonora and Marco Faccin/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)173 visiteThe Icy Surface of the Saturnian moon Dione includes, among other things, some Heavily Cratered Terrain, Moderately Cratered Plains, Lightly Cratered Plains, and several Areas which show the presence of deep and wide Tectonic Fractures (notice that all these Geological Features are well visible in this beautiful picture). The Heavily Cratered Terrain shows a number of Impact Craters which are larger than 100 Km (a little more than 62 miles) in diameter. The Plain Areas, on the other hand, tend to have Impact Craters which are less than 30 Km (such as about 18,6 miles) in diameter. Some of the Plains, however, are more Heavily Cratered than others. Much of the Heavily Cratered Terrain is located on the Trailing Hemisphere of Dione, while the less Cratered Plains are found on the Leading one.
This characteristic of Dione tells us just the opposite of what a few scientists would have expected; Shoemaker and Wolfe, for instance, proposed a Cratering Model for a Tidally Locked Satellite with the highest Cratering Rates on its Leading Hemisphere and the lowest ones on the Trailing Hemisphere. This Model, therefore (if it is one-hundred-percent correct - a fact, this one, that we have no way to prove with absolute cetainty), suggests that during the period of heavy bombardment, Dione was (better yet: could have been) tidally locked to Saturn in an opposite orientation as to the present one. Just because Dione is a relatively small Celestial Body (approx. 1120 Km - such as about 695,5 miles - in diameter), we can assume that an impact causing an approx. 35-Km-diameter Impact Crater should have been strong enough to alter the Course (---> Motion and Orientation) of the moon, as to its Parent Planet. Now, since there are so many Impact Craters on Dione which are way larger than 35 Km (such as about 21,7 miles), we can logically speculate that Dione itself might have changed both its Motion and Orientation a few times during the aforementioned period of heavy bombardment. Eventually, once that the bombardment ended, the moon was finally able to set itself on a definitive and stable Course around Saturn.
As a matter of fact, the Pattern of Cratering and the bright Albedo of its Leading Side suggest that Dione has remained in its current Course for several billion years. Like the Jovian moon Callisto, Dione's Impact Craters lack the high Central Features (---> Peaks/Uplifts) that are often seen, instead, on the Moon and Mercury; this circumstance, in our opinion, is probably due to slumping (---> Mass Wasting) of the weak Icy Crust over Geologic Times, but a final answer to this kind of question, as you can imagine, will probably never given with an absolute certainty. Just out of curiosity, if you pay special attention to the visible portion of the Limb of Dione, as it appears in this highly defined picture, you may realize that its shape is NOT, in fact, perfectly spherical.
This image, which is a combination of 5 (five) Original NASA - CASSINI Spacecraft b/w frames whose ID numbers are N00199629/30/31/32 and 33, has been additionally processed and then colorized in Natural Colors (such as the colors that a perfect human eye - or an Electronic Eye - would have perceived while looking at Dione from Cassini's vantage point) by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements present on the Surface of Dione, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition. MareKromiumGen 31, 2013
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Rhea-PIA14574-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgIn the Saturnshine (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga - Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)131 visiteSome Southern Terrain on the Gas-Giant Planet Saturn's moon Rhea is dimly illuminated by the Saturnshine (---> the Saturnian equivalent, on Rhea, of the Moonshine, on Earth) in this NASA - Cassini Spacecraft's view of the dark side of the moon. The camera of Cassini is looking toward the night side of Rhea (which is approx. 1530 Km - such as about 950 miles - across), but the Sunlight reflected off the day side of the immense Saturn is bright enough to illuminate the Surface - with all its Impact Craters - seen here. This view is centered on Terrain located at 23° South Latitude and 315° West Longitude. If you look carefully beyond the Limb of Rhea, you will notice that 4 (four) background Stars are visible.
The image was taken in Visible Light with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft Wide-Angle Camera on August, 1st, 2011. The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 6000 Km (such as about 3726 miles) from Rhea and at a Sun-Rhea-Cassini Spacecraft, or Phase, Angle of 113°. Scale in the original image was 800 meters (such as 2600 feet) per pixel.
This frame (which is an Original NASA - Cassini Spacecraft image published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 14574) has been additionally processed, contrast enhanced, and then colorized in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Saturnian moon Rhea), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements present on the Surface of Rhea, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromiumGen 31, 2013
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Saturn-Vortex-EB-MF-LXTT-IPF-1.jpgNorth Polar Vortex (CTX Frame: Calibrated Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Elisabetta Bonora and Marco Faccin/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation; EDM: Absolute Natural Colors; credits: Dr Paolo C. Fienga)85 visiteThe NASA - Cassini Spacecraft has recently been travelling the Saturnian System in a set of inclined (or "tilted"), orbits that were fit to give to the Mission Scientists a vertigo-inducing view of Saturn's North Polar Regions. This (kind of "new") perspective has brought to light quite a few images of roiling Storm Clouds and a swirling Vortex, located at the center of Saturn's famed North Polar "Hexagon" (being tha latter an Atmospherical Feature whose origin and visual configuration are still a mistery).
These North Polar Phenomena, however, basically mimic what Cassini found at Saturn's South Pole, a number of years ago. As a matter of fact, the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft had also seen several Storms circling the North Polar Regions of Saturn in the past, but the vision had come only in InfraRed Wavelengths, since the North Pole of the Ringed Gas-Giant Planet was in complete darkness. Now, with the change of the Saturnian Season, the Sun has once again begun to creep over the North Pole of Saturn, and this frame (that was obtained in Visible Light) shows us what Cassini has actually seen...
This picture (which is an Original NASA - Cassini Spacecraft b/w frame) was taken on November, 27th, 2012, with the Cassini's Wide-Angle Imaging Camera. The Camera, at the time that the picture was taken, was pointing at the North Polar Regions of Saturn from approx. 233.742 miles (such as about 376.170 Km) away.
The resulting frame (in its CTX Version) has been additionally processed and then colorized in Natural Colors (such as the colors that a perfect human eye - or an Electronic Eye - would have perceived while looking at Saturn from Cassini's vantage point); the EDM Version (in the upper right corner of the image), on the other hand, has been obtained by re-processing and then re-colorizing the picture - according to an informed speculation carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga (LXTT-IPF) - in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a normal - meaning: in the average - human eye would have actually caught if someone would have been onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then had looked outside, towards the North Pole of Saturn), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements present in the Atmosphere of Saturn, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromiumGen 01, 2013
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Telesto-PIA07696-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgTelesto (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga - Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation) 78 visiteThis view - obtained by the NASA - CASSINI Spacecraft - shows us a few interesting Surface Features (mostly old Impact Craters and Mountains) as well as fine color variations that are found on the Trojan Saturnian moon Telesto. The smooth Surface of this moon suggests that, like Pandora, even Telesto is covered by a mantle of fine, dust-sized Icy Material. The origin of the color differences is not yet understood, but it may reasonably be caused by extremely subtle variations in the Mineralogical Composition of its Surface, or by the (extremely small) size of the Dusty Grains which make up the Icy Soil. Tiny Telesto is a Celestial Body that is approx. 24 Km (such as about 15 miles) wide only.
The image was acquired with the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft Narrow-Angle Camera on December, 25th, 2005 at a distance of approximately 20.000 Km (such as about 12.000 miles) from Telesto and at a Sun-Telesto-CASSINI Spacecraft, or Phase, Angle of 58°. Image scale is 118 meters (387 feet) per pixel.
This picture (which is an Original NASA - CASSINI Spacecraft b/w frame published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 07696) has been additionally processed and then colorized, according to an informed speculation carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga (LXXT/IPF), in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - CASSINI Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Saturnian moon, Telesto), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among other things, the existence of different Elements (Minerals) present on the Surface of Telesto, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromiumDic 25, 2012
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Saturn-North_Pole-Vortex-Cassini-EB-MF-LXTT-IPF.gifPeering into the Storm (a GIF-Movie by Elisabetta Bonora and Marco Faccin/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)75 visite...Splendido e Affascinante...MareKromiumDic 09, 2012
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Enceladus_and_Titan-PIA14617-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgSo close, and yet so far... (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga - Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)93 visiteThe Saturnian moon Enceladus can be seen partially (as a matter of fact, we have to say almost completely) eclipsed by the shadow of its Gas-Giant Parent Planet, in this really fascinating view, taken by the the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft, which also features another Saturnian moon, such as Titan, in the distance. The Cassini Spacecraft flew by Enceladus, shown in the upper left of the picture, at a distance of about 16.000 miles (such as approx. 26.000 Km).
The Terminator - such as the Line separating the day from the night side - of Enceladus (whose dimension is approx. 313 miles, or about 504 Km across) can be barely seen on the very far left of the moon itself, while the shadow of Saturn runs all the way across from its Middle Northern, until the South Polar Regions. Titan (whose dimension is approx. 3200 miles, or about 5150 Km across), as we already mentioned hereabove, is well visible in the lower right of the frame, and, at the time that the picture was taken, it was about 684.000 miles (such as approx. 1,1 Million KiloMeters - MKM) away from the Spacecraft.
This view looks toward the Saturn-facing Sides of both Enceladus and Titan; North is up (obviously for both moons) and the image was taken in Visible Light, with the Cassini Spacecraft Wide-Angle Camera on October, 1st, 2011. The view was obtained at a Sun-Enceladus-CASSINI Spacecraft, or Phase, Angle of 29°. The Scale in the original image was approx. 2 miles (such as a little more than 3 Km) per pixel on Enceladus. The original image was also contrast enhanced and magnified by a factor of 1.5, so to enhance the visibility of a few Enceladian Surface Features (and in fact, if you look carefully, while Titan is - as usual, when observed from a great distance - completely featureless, a few Impact Craters and some Surface Striations, can actually be seen in the Northern Regions of the icy moon Enceladus).
This picture (which is an Original NASA - Cassini Spacecraft b/w frame published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 14617) has been additionally processed and then colorized, according to an informed speculation carried out by Dr Paolo C. Fienga (LXTT-IPF), in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - Cassini Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Saturnian moons Enceladus and Titan), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among others, the existence of different Elements present on the Surface of Enceladus and in the Atmosphere of Titan, respectively, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromiumDic 04, 2012
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