Cassini Confirms Enceladus Plume Responsible for E Ring of Saturn
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Cassini Confirms Enceladus as Source of Saturn's E Ring
Overview
NASA's Cassini-Huygens mission, a collaborative effort with the European and Italian Space Agencies, has made groundbreaking discoveries about Saturn and its moons. Recently, the probe has confirmed that Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons, is responsible for the particles that form Saturn's E ring, the planet’s broadest and faintest ring.
Discoveries About Enceladus
Enceladus is a small, icy moon, only 314 miles across, with a surface that reflects nearly all its heat, maintaining temperatures around minus 330 degrees Fahrenheit. Its orbit is influenced by Saturn's gravity and that of nearby moons Tethys and Dione. Unlike the geologically inactive Mimas, Enceladus exhibits sharp geological contrasts across its surface, which have intrigued scientists since the Voyager missions.
Confirming the Source of the E Ring
For years, scientists suspected Enceladus as the source of Saturn's E ring. This theory was backed by the detection of an ice particle stream propelled by water vapor during Cassini's approach in July. Yet, it wasn’t until November 26, 2005, that this was confirmed. Cassini’s infrared sensors detected ice particles ejecting from a plume at Enceladus’s south pole during its closest approach to any of Saturn's moons, only 109 miles away.
How Enceladus Feeds the E Ring
Enceladus emits ice particles with an average size of 10 microns, forming the E ring’s fine mist. While larger particles remain trapped by the moon’s gravity, and medium-sized ones temporarily escape only to be pulled back, the smallest particles manage to leave, thus forming the E ring.
The Mystery of Enceladus’s Heat
Enceladus behaves similarly to a comet, ejecting ice particles. Unlike comets, which are heated by sunlight, Enceladus’s heat source remains a mystery. It’s hypothesized that internal processes, such as tidal forces or radioactive mechanisms, generate significant heat despite the moon’s small size. This mystery is central to understanding the origins of Saturn’s E ring.
References
1. NASA Report - Enceladus Erupting, 12-7-05
2. Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Enceladus Plume, 12-6-05
3. Bill Arnett - Possible Source of E Ring, 2-17-05
4. NASA Solar Systems Exploration - Saturn: Moons: Enceladus, 10-6-03
5. NASA Release - Enceladus’s Tiger Stripes are Really Cubs
With the Cassini mission's insights, the dynamic nature of Enceladus and its influence on Saturn’s intricate ring systems continue to captivate scientists and expand our understanding of the solar system.
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