Saturn from Enceladus. Illustration showing the surface of Enceladus, the sixth largest of Saturn's moons. Saturn is on the horizon at upper centre. The surface of Enceladus is thought to be a thick layer of water ice covering a hard rocky interior. Geologic activity and tidal heating melts this ice to produce water which can rise to the surface through cracks in the ice. Polar jets (one at upper right) have been observed on Enceladus, due to 'water volcanism' (cryovolcanism). Enceladus is 504 kilometres in diameter, with a mean surface temperature of 75 Kelvin (minus 198 degrees Celsius). It orbits at a distance of around 178, 000 kilometres above Saturn's outer atmosphere. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / TIM BROWN |
Bildgröße: | 5669 px × 3093 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Restrictions: | - |