Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2022 January 4
   [2]The featured image shows the Moons Rhea and Janus being the rings of
    Saturn as captured by the robotic Cassini mission in 2010. Please see
               the explanation for more detailed information.

                        Moons Beyond Rings at Saturn
       Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]JPL, [6]Cassini Imaging Team

   Explanation: What's happened to that moon of Saturn? Nothing --
   Saturn's moon [7]Rhea is just partly hidden behind Saturn's rings. In
   2010, the robotic Cassini spacecraft then orbiting Saturn took [8]this
   narrow-angle view looking across the [9]Solar System's most [10]famous
   rings. Rings visible in the foreground include the thin [11]F ring on
   the outside and the much wider [12]A and B rings just interior to it.
   Although it seems to be hovering [13]over the rings, Saturn's moon
   [14]Janus is actually far behind them. [15]Janus is one of Saturn's
   smaller [16]moons and measures only about 180 kilometers across.
   Farther out from the camera is the heavily cratered [17]Rhea, a much
   larger moon measuring 1,500 kilometers across. The top of [18]Rhea is
   visible only through [19]gaps in the rings. After more than a decade of
   exploration and discovery, the [20]Cassini spacecraft ran [21]low on
   fuel in 2017 and was directed to [22]enter Saturn's atmosphere, where
   it surely [23]melted.

              Explore Your Universe: [24]Random APOD Generator
                    Tomorrow's picture: comet tail-scape
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    Authors & editors: [36]Robert Nemiroff ([37]MTU) & [38]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([39]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [40]Specific rights apply.
              [41]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC
                           & [45]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2201/RheaJanus_Cassini_1020.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   6. http://ciclops.org/
   7. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/saturn-moons/rhea/in-depth/
   8. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA12643
   9. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/switch-a-roo/en/
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn%27s_rings
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090427.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071024.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071217.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap061107.html
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janus
  16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdciFqa7xM0
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060530.html
  18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G_-v4JVyAA
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rings_of_Saturn#Cassini_Division
  20. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/mission/spacecraft/cassini-orbiter/
  21. https://www.lifewithdogs.tv/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/dog-tired.jpg
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170125.html
  23. https://youtu.be/4u6A40QTWVI
  24. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/random_apod.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220103.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  34. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=220104
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220105.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  38. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  39. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  40. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  42. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. http://www.mtu.edu/