More Rings

More Rings
December 16, 2004
Language
  • english

This computer-enhanced photo of Saturn, taken November 13, 1980, by Voyager 1, shows Saturn's rings and their shadows against the
lighted crescent of the planet. The photo was taken from a distance of 1,570,000 kilometers (930,000 miles) beyond the planet.


The bright, overexposed limb of Saturn is visible through the rings. The inner or C-ring scatters light in a way that causes it to
look bluer that the outer A- and B- rings. Radial spokes in the B-ring, which appeared dark in pictures taken when Voyager 1 was
approaching Saturn, can be seen here as bright markings.
The thin F-ring displays brightness variations that are caused by non-uniform distribution of material in the
ring. (P-23346)