Enceladus soars above Saturn. (Click for larger view.)
Though I am busy with my paper that will prove that the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art is a tesseract, a little post on Saturn’s moon Enceladus seemed called for in light of this fantastic Chesley Bonestall-like image from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which is currently touring Saturn. Besides, the previous occupant of the tower seemed involved in scientific researches, if the rusty spyglasses and broken prisms are any indication, so I think I should do my part to promote such things.
The photo above was taken by Cassini on August 13, 2010, about 58,000 kilometers from Enceladus. It shows Enceladus above the arc of Saturn’s atmosphere during a flyby when the spacecraft eventually came within 1,500 miles of that moon.
A lot of excitement surrounds Enceladus because icy plumes have been discovered shooting from its surface. Observations have revealed organic chemicals in the spray. Tidal heating keeps the moon warm and hotspots have been connected to the fountains. Heat, organic chemicals and the potential for a sea of liquid water beneath the icy surface have meant that Enceladus has “astrobiological potential” — the potential for life. For a side order of cool, it has been discovered that the moon is “feeding” Saturn’s largest ring, the E-ring. The tiny ice grains spewing from Enceladus are being collected by Saturn into the ring.
Cassini completed its initial four-year mission in June 2008. The current Equinox Mission is exploring Saturn during a time when the sun illuminates the planet’s northern hemisphere and the rings’ northern face. The moons Enceladus and Titan are primary targets of the Equinox Mission.
Two more flybys of Enceladus are planned for Nov. 30 and Dec. 21, during which the spacecraft will come within 32 miles of it. Let’s hope for more vistas like the one above.
Enceladus:
Distance from Saturn: 147,500 miles
Period of orbit: 32.8 hours
Diameter: 318 miles, as wide as Arizona
Aweness factor: High
Enceladus
Photos: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute