@nasa

If you like it, put a ring on it 💍⁣ ⁣ Saturn is not the only planet in our solar system with rings, but its rings are the most prominent, extending 175,000 miles (282,000 kilometers) from the planet. The rings are likely made of chunks of ice and rock ranging in size from dust-sized grains to house-sized pieces, composed of the remnants of comets, asteroids, and moons shredded by Saturn’s powerful gravity.⁣ ⁣ This engaging view of Saturn was captured by our Cassini spacecraft in 2008 from a distance of 690,000 miles (1.1 million km). Six of Saturn’s moons appear throughout the image, including Titan and Enceladus, two of the most promising worlds to look for life beyond Earth.⁣ ⁣ Image description: An image split in two shows Saturn’s rings extending to the far left of the image, partially obscured by shadow, with the planet appearing striped in shades of yellow, tan, and blue. Saturn’s moons appear as small dots in gray and white across the image.⁣ ⁣ Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute⁣ ⁣ #Cassini #Space #Saturn #NASA #Ring #SolarSystem

January 20, 2024