Unique view of Saturn's ravioli moons

NASA Cbadini probe illustration at Saturn. (Image: Keystone / NASA EPA / JPL-CALTECH FILE)

(SDA / afp)

The partially ravioliferous moons Pan, Daphnis, Atlas, Pandora and Epimetheus were obviously shaped by the dynamic processes of the Saturn system, as reported by the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Göttingen.

The results of these measurements were presented Thursday by a research team in the context of the journal Science within the framework of MPS. While most of Saturn's 62 moons revolve around the giant planet at a great distance from the main system, the five unusual bodies with a diameter between 8 and 120 km move around the second largest planet in the solar system. called annular moons.

According to MPS, three of Saturn's deepest moons are strange worlds: with their pearly-shaped thickening along the equator, Pan, Daphnis, and Atlas are somewhat reminiscent of cosmic ravioli. While Pan and Daphnis have each crossed an orbit inside the so-called ring A, which is clearly visible from Earth, Atlas is quite at the edge of the same ring.

Rather potato than ravioliförmig

Pandora and Epimetheus, both richer in potatoes than ravioliformig, circumscribe, according to information, only a little outside the F circle much more adjacent, much thinner and more dusty around Saturn. The measurement campaign of the last phase of the "Cbadini" mission allowed, among other things, to provide more detailed information on the thickening at the equator of the three moons of ravioli.

While in Pan, this bulge represents about 10% of the total, Daphnis only has 1%, against 25% for Atlas. According to Göttinger researchers, in all three cases, the pearl is much smoother and less crenellated than the rest of the surface, indicating a younger age.

This also applies to the rather flat equatorial region of the Pandora moon. Overall, the surface of the five moons appears very porous, their average densities are comparable to those of cork. All of this indicates, according to MPS, a multi-stage development process in which bulk materials are gradually detached from the Saturn rings deposited on the equator of the moons.

Most daring maneuvers

Among these, scientists could conceal a denser core, perhaps a fragment of a larger body that once surrounded Saturn and collapsed under the effect of collisions. The measurement campaign took place between April and September 2017, when "Cbadini" performed the most daring maneuvers towards the end of its mission and dived into the area between the planet and its deepest ring.

The Nasa probe eventually burned as expected in Saturn 's atmosphere. "Cbadini" was launched in October 1997 and joined Ring Planet in July 2004. For about 13 years, the probe then pbaded through the fascinating system of Saturn, discovering new rings and moons and revealing many secrets of the giant gas planet. .