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Space Topics: SaturnVoyager Images of Saturn
Saturn's F ring was photographed from the un-illuminated side of the rings by Voyager l at a range of 750,000 kilometers (470,000 miles). Their complex structure is evident, with several components visible, such as two narrow, braided, bright rings that trace distinct orbits, and a broader, very diffuse component about 35 kilometers (20 miles) in width. Also visible are "knots," which are probably local clumps of ring material, but they may be mini-moons.
Voyager 1 took this image of Saturn on October. 18, 1980, from a distance of 34 million kilometers (21 million miles). The image was taken on the last day that Saturn and its rings could be captured within a single narrow-angle camera frame as the spacecraft closed in on the planet for its closest approach, which occurred on November 12, 1980.
A view of Saturn's clouds shows a ribbon-like wave structure in the south with small convective features marking a westward jet in the north. This image was obtained on November l0, l980 when Voyager 1 was at a distance of 3,500,000 kilometers (2,200,000 miles) from Saturn. The smallest resolved features in this image are 65 kilometers (40 miles) in diameter. Images with similar resolution indicate that Saturn's circulation is somewhat different from Jupiter's.
Voyager 1 captured this image of Saturn and its rings on November 16, 1980, four days after its closest approach to Saturn, from a distance of 5,300,000 kilometers (3,300,000 miles). This view, which shows Saturn as a crescent, is never possible from Earth, as it was taken from the far side of the planet. The translucent nature of certain rings is apparent where Saturn can be seen through them.
This view focusing on Saturn's C-ring (and to a lesser extent, the B-ring at top and left) was compiled from three separate images taken through ultraviolet, clear and green filters. On Aug. 23, 1981 when it acquired these frames, Voyager 2 was 2.7 million kilometers (1.7 million miles) from the planet. More than 60 bright and dark ringlets are evident here. Color differences between the C and B rings indicate differing surface compositions.
Titan's thick haze layer is shown in this enhanced Voyager 1 image taken November 12, 1980 at a distance of 435,000 kilometers (270,000 miles). Voyager images of Saturn's largest moon show Titan completely enveloped by haze that merges with a darker "hood" or cloud layer over the north pole. Such a mantle was not present at the south pole. During Voyager's closest approach to Titan on Nov. 11, 1980, spacecraft instruments found that the moon has a substantial atmosphere, far denser than that of Mars and possibly denser than Earth's.
The cratered surface of Saturn's moon Mimas is visible in this image taken by Voyager 1 on November 12, 1980 from a range of 425,000 kilometers (264,000 miles). The largest impact crater, Herschel, is more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) in diameter and displays a prominent central peak. Abundant smaller craters indicate an ancient age for Mimas' surface.
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