Mysteries of Saturn revealed: Nasa probe captures clearest views of planet's rings

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Mysteries of Saturn revealed: Nasa probe captures clearest views of planet's rings - and the tiny 'mini-moons' swimming inside them



Nasa's Cassini probe has tumbled into a new orbit that has given it a spectacular new view of the planet's most famous feature - its rings, giant orbiting discs made of water ice and dust.


The new views Cassini has captured are the sharpest the probe has 'seen' in years - and are allowing scientists to track tiny 'mini-moons' within the rings, carving out trails in the ice as they orbit the huge planet, the solar system's second largest.

Casssini's new orbit has enabled it to capture spectacular views of Saturn's rings and the moons Rhea, Tethys and Pandora

 

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Ring of truth: Saturn and her rings as the rings cast shadows on the planet. Nasa's probe Cassini captured the view at a distance of approximately 621,000 miles from Saturn

 

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Moonrise: A shadow cast by Saturn's moon Tethys across the A ring as Saturn's own shadow block light from the lower part of the rings (Bottom-R). Cassini captured the view at a distance of approximately 1.1 million miles from Saturn

 

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Rugged surface: The cratered southern surface of Saturn'a moon Rhea (T) ) and moon Dione with Saturn's rings below it

 

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Stunning: These beautiful pictures of Saturn's rings were taken by a space probe orbiting the second largest planet in the solar system

 

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Satellites: As well as rings, the Cassini spacecraft has taken amazing pictures of Saturn's moons

 

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Artistic: But the beautiful images were actually created in the name of science

 

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The new Saturn ring photos come as the Cassini probe moves into a slightly different orbit around its gas giant target, officials with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said in an image announcement

 

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The Cassini probe has been orbiting Saturn for eight years

 

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MYSTERIES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM'S SECOND-LARGEST PLANET


Saturn lies 890 million miles from the Sun on average.

It has a diameter of 74,897 miles.

It’s a very very cold planet, with an average temperature of -140C (-220F).

It’s made of liquid and solid hydrogen and helium and is so light it would float on water.

It’s most famous for its rings, which were first discovered in the 17th-century. They extend 46,000 miles out and have a total diameter of almost 170,000 miles.

 

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Harmonious: But although Saturn may look peaceful, its rings are in fact constantly fluctuating

Angles: The new images were made possible by Cassini changing its orbit for the first time in two years

Useful: Scientists are using the images to analyse mysterious propeller shapes which frequently appear within the rings

 

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Great view: But we on earth can also see Saturn on a clear night, as the planet is shining very brightly at the moment

Dark: But the images are shedding new light on the iconic rings which surround Saturn

 

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Wow!