New Saturn pic from Cassini

[Caruso]

Wow!

[Caruso]

It's the moon Titan passing in front of Saturn and the rings edge on.

[Simpo Two]

And the Cassini gap of course.

[FarmyardPants]

Bedazzled said:

Is it true colour?

Yes.

Amazing shot.

[Nom de ploom]

Cassini flies by Enceladus today as close as it will get...

hope we get some more wonderful pictures and some interesting data

[Eric Mc]

Cassini is coming to the end of its mission now so they are trying out some spectacular manoeuvers to get some real close up data on Enceladus before the probe finally expires.

[scubadude]

Cassini has really delivered some amazing images, fingers crossed it gets some epic final snaps.

[RobM77]

That's a wonderful picture, thanks for posting

[jmorgan]

Nah, nothing interesting going on.......



http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/ind...



http://www.ciclops.org/ir_index/188/In-Orbit

[No Bend]

jmorgan said:

Nah, nothing interesting going on.......



http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/ind...



http://www.ciclops.org/ir_index/188/In-Orbit

A massive close-up of your average teenagers skin?

[tumble dryer]

jmorgan said:

Nah, nothing interesting going on.......



http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedetails/ind...

[tumble dryer]

Simplistic thinking I know, but what forces, and from where, could make what we see?

[tumble dryer]

jmorgan said:

Something big near by.......

Sorry, I'm a passing stranger to astrowhatever (joking about the flippancy), are you saying that it's the big thing's gravity that's pulling the carp out of the wee thing's upper body?

Edited by tumble dryer on Friday 30th October 22:38

[paulrockliffe]

tumble dryer said:

Simplistic thinking I know, but what forces, and from where, could make what we see?

It's mostly gravity isn't it.

What's the black band across the image, is it a shadow or something else?

[Eric Mc]

tumble dryer said:

Simplistic thinking I know, but what forces, and from where, could make what we see?

We know that there must be quite a bit of internal heat being generated within Enceladus. It's this heat which is forcing liquid water out through fissures in the surface of the moon to form the dramatic water fountains and curtains that have been observed. I am sure these strange surface hummocks and ridges are connected to this process.

[tumble dryer]

Eric Mc said:

tumble dryer said:

Simplistic thinking I know, but what forces, and from where, could make what we see?

We know that there must be quite a bit of internal heat being generated within Enceladus. It's this heat which is forcing liquid water out through fissures in the surface of the moon to form the dramatic water fountains and curtains that have been observed. I am sure these strange surface hummocks and ridges are connected to this process.

Thanks, appreciated.

Again simplistic; you suggest water as a 'probable'. Is it still there, where has it gone? On a percentage scale, does water equate to 'life'?

[jmorgan]

tumble dryer said:

jmorgan said:

Something big near by.......

Sorry, I'm a passing stranger to astrowhatever (joking about the flippancy), are you saying that it's the big thing's gravity that's pulling the carp out of the wee thing's upper body?

Edited by tumble dryer on Friday 30th October 22:38

Sorry, I deleted it as it was a bit simplistic and cryptic to something that has become very interesting over recent years. Thought I might put more up today but Eric Mc is there especially with recent thoughts such as a liquid ocean. Things like internal heat sources and tidal heating (Saturn's gravity in effect) are at play.

If you have not see them.
http://www.ciclops.org/view/8239/Changing-View-of-...

[jmorgan]

Anyway, I am guilty of thread divert. Back to Saturn.

http://www.ciclops.org/view/8068/Entranced-by-a-Tr...

[Eric Mc]

tumble dryer said:

Eric Mc said:

tumble dryer said:

Simplistic thinking I know, but what forces, and from where, could make what we see?

We know that there must be quite a bit of internal heat being generated within Enceladus. It's this heat which is forcing liquid water out through fissures in the surface of the moon to form the dramatic water fountains and curtains that have been observed. I am sure these strange surface hummocks and ridges are connected to this process.

Thanks, appreciated.

Again simplistic; you suggest water as a 'probable'. Is it still there, where has it gone? On a percentage scale, does water equate to 'life'?

It's not probable, it's definite.Indeed, it makes up a large portion of the material that makes this moon. Water is very, very common in the solar system. It's just that in most cases it is frozen solid. However, given certain conditions (i.e. heat and pressure) it will liquify and sometimes boil. That is what is happening on Enceldaus.

Whenever the words "liquid water" are mentioned, immediately the discussion turns to the probability of life. Whilst life seems to be totally dependent on the existence of liquid water, the presence of liquid water does not automatically indicate the presence of life.

As jmorgan mentioned, the source of the heat being generated is the presence of the giant planet next door - Saturn - and the gravitational interaction between Saturn, Enceladus and the other moons. They exert a pull on each other as they pass each other in their orbits around Saturn and Saturn itself also pulls on the moon. This causes the moon to flex and compress which generates heat in the moon's interior.

It is the same process that has melted the interiors of Jupiter's moons Io and Europa.

[jmorgan]

Think Cassini did another fly through an out gassing