Saturn's E ring

Details Saturn's E ring Saturn's E ring

Jul 1981

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1981icar...47...84b&link_type=abstract

Icarus, vol. 47, July 1981, p. 84-96.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

69

Brightness Distribution, Charge Coupled Devices, Enceladus, Infrared Astronomy, Saturn Rings, Telephotometry, Flyby Missions, Focal Plane Devices, Pioneer 11 Space Probe, Planetary Evolution, Space Observations (From Earth), Saturn, Rings, E Ring, Satellites, Enceladus, Radius, Distribution, Evolution, Analysis, Distance, Equipment, Photometry, Observations, Ejecta, Brightness, Data, Designs, Procedure, Techniques

Scientific paper

Observations of the tenuous E ring of Saturn made by an earth-based CCD system at the time of the ring-plane crossing of March 1980 are presented. The observations were made with the CCD system attached to the 1.8-m Perkins reflector at Lowell Observatory using a pupil mask behind a focal plane mask to suppress telescopic diffraction. Photometric analysis of the CCD images reveal the edge-on brightness profile of the ring, beginning at a distance of 3 Saturn radii, to peak sharply in the vicinity of the orbit of Enceladus at about 4 Saturn radii, then decrease to a distance of over 8 Saturn radii. In addition, beyond Enceladus, the edge-on width of the ring is observed to increase with radial distance, reaching nearly 5 arcsec at 7 Saturn radii. Observations suggest, on the one hand, that the E ring is associated with Enceladus and possibly represents material ejected from the satellite, and on the other, that the ring is at an early stage in its evolution.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Saturn's E ring does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Saturn's E ring, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Saturn's E ring will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1688748