Saturn system - continued journey "Cassini" (7 photos)

In January, the spacecraft "Cassini", which continues to explore Saturn and its satellites, flying very close to Dione, at a distance of about 60,000 kilometers. It was the closest convergence of the probe and NASA Saturn per stay "Cassini" in the giant planet. As a result, the unit was able to get some pictures of Dione against the backdrop of Saturn, its rings and moons other.



Saturn, Dione, and finest, seen nearly edge-on, the planet's rings.



Titan and Dione against the backdrop of seemingly serene atmosphere of Saturn. But astronomers know what the wind raging in it and what colossal storms from time to time are born in the eye indistinguishable air currents.



Mimas, one of Saturn's moons, peeping from behind the unlit side of Dione. Cratered and ancient fissures, dominates the landscape of Dione in this image taken probe "Cassini" at the end of last year. Dion - the fourth largest moon of Saturn, its diameter is 1123 km. Mimas is much smaller: it has a total of 396 km in diameter. The picture was taken from a distance of 94000 km from Dione, the resolution was 559 meters per pixel. Distance to Mimas was at this moment 611,000 km.



Ample shade rings. Saturn's moon Tethys is flying in an orbit on the background of the broad shadow that cast on the planet ring. Tethys - a rather large satellite, its diameter is 1062 km, and yet in this picture he is a mere dwarf in comparison with the giant-Saturn. The picture was taken on board the spacecraft "Cassini" December 7, 2011 wide-angle camera through a filter sensitive to the wavelength of 752 nm. The distance between the probe and Tefiey was at this time about 1, 8 million kilometers



The night side of Titan. Dense atmosphere, which enveloped the largest moon of Saturn, as well diffuses sunshine that sometimes, watching his dark side, you can see the little glowing rim covering unlit portion of the disk of the planet. This phenomenon of light scattering is also observed in the case of Venus, a planet that has a more dense atmosphere than Titan



Tethys and Titan, two of the more than six dozen moons of Saturn, trying to hide from the cameras, "Cassini" for the rings of the planet. And in vain! The rings are so thin that if they were solid, but not consisting of trillions of pieces of ice and stones, they could be called "cosmic blade."