Here is one of the planet Saturn’s 62 moons, Tethys, seen by the Cassini spacecraft, which has been in orbit around Saturn since 2004 and which has provided a wealth of dazzling images.
This is a color image, and, NASA says:
In this image, with the range of colors visible to Cassini’s cameras, differences in materials and their textures become apparent that are subtle or unseen in natural color views.
Here, the giant impact basin Odysseus on this moon stands out brightly from the rest of the illuminated icy crescent. This distinct coloration may result from differences in either the composition or structure of the terrain exposed by the giant impact.
In this image, you can also see Tethys’ dark side (at right), faintly illuminated by sunlight reflected from Saturn.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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