PIA02275: Saturn's rings - high resolution

Target Name: S Rings Is a satellite of: Saturn Mission: Voyager Spacecraft: Voyager 2 Instrument: Imaging Science Subsystem - Narrow Angle Product Size: 707 samples x 730 lines Produced By: JPL Producer ID: P23925 Addition Date: 2000-05-23 Primary Data Set: Voyager EDRs Full-Res TIFF: PIA02275.tif (228.3 kB) Full-Res JPEG: PIA02275.jpg (68.54 kB)

Original Caption Released with Image: Voyager 2 obtained this high-resolution picture of Saturn's rings Aug. 22, when the spacecraft was 4 million kilometers (2.5 million miles) away. Evident here are the numerous "spoke" features, in the B-ring; their very sharp, narrow appearance suggests short formation times. Scientists think electromagnetic forces are responsible in some way for these features, but no detailed theory has been worked out. Pictures such as this and analyses of Voyager 2's spoke movies may reveal more clues about the origins of these complex structures. The Voyager project is managed for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Image Credit: NASA/JPL