 The camera was pointing toward Enceladus at approximately 348,913 kilometers (216,805 miles) away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and GRN filters. This image has not been validated or calibrated. A validated/calibrated image will be archived with the NASA Planetary Data System in 2011. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute |
Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 16, 2010
NASA's Cassini spacecraft has successfully completed its flyby over the "tiger stripes" in the south polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus and has sent back images of its passage.
The spacecraft also targeted the moon Tethys.
The tiger stripes are actually giant fissures that spew jets of water vapor and organic particles hundreds of kilometers, or miles, out into space.
While the winter is darkening the moon's southern hemisphere, Cassini has its own version of "night vision goggles" - the composite infrared spectrometer instrument - to track heat even when visible light is low.
It will take time for scientists to assemble the data into temperature maps of the fissures.
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