SCIENCE | NASA Releases Close- Up Views of Saturn's Rings

NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

NASA has released high- resolution close- up images of the outermost rings of planet Saturn. The images were captured by the spacecraft Cassini as part of its penultimate mission. The spacecraft has been hovering in and out of the planet's rings every week since November, taking images depicting features as small as 550 metres, a measurement that may not seem so small to us, but is of huge interest when one considers the fact that the photos being taken are those of another planet.

One of the images has been shown above. The encircled parts in the image are bright disturbances called "propellers" which are caused by the gravity of moonlets embedded in the ring.

Images of "straws", which can be defined as a temporary clumping in the rings resulting from gravity from a group of embedded objects, have also been captured by Cassini. Moreover, it took images of density "waves" and "wakes" as well, capturing the sights in visible light with its wide angle camera. The photos were initially taken on December 18th, 2016, although it was back in the year 2004 that Cassini first reached Saturn and showed us the features of the planet's ring. However, the new images happen to be twice as sharp and clear than what the world witnessed before. 

More images of the ring could probably come out in the next few months as Cassini continues to make progress in its approach towards Saturn.