Encounter with Saturn: Voyager 1 imaging science results

Science
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Abstract

As Voyager 1 flew through the Saturn system it returned photographs revealing many new and surprising characteristics of this complicated community of bodies. Saturn's atmosphere has numerous, low-contrast, discrete cloud features and a pattern of circulation significantly different from that of Jupiter. Titan is shrouded in a haze layer that varies in thickness and appearance. Among the icy satellites there is considerable variety in density, albedo, and surface morphology and substantial evidence for endogenic surface modification. Trends in density and crater characteristics are quite unlike those of the Galilean satellites. Small inner satellites, three of which were discovered in Voyager images, interact gravitationally with one another and with the ring particles in ways not observed elsewhere in the solar system. Saturn's broad A, B, and C rings contain hundreds of "ringlets," and in the densest portion of the B ring there are numerous nonaxisymmetric features. The narrow F ring has three components which, in at least one instance, are kinked and crisscrossed. Two rings are observed beyond the F ring, and material is seen between the C ring and the planet.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Encounter with Saturn: Voyager 1 imaging science results
Series title Science
DOI 10.1126/science.212.4491.163
Volume 212
Issue 4491
Year Published 1981
Language English
Publisher American Association for the Advancement of Science
Description 29 p.
First page 163
Last page 191
Other Geospatial Rings of Saturn, Saturn, Titan
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