Saturn's moon Dione, composite Cassini image. On December 14 2004 the Cassini spacecraft passed within 81,500 kilometres of Dione, taking a series of
Saturn's moon Dione, composite Cassini image. On December 14 2004 the Cassini spacecraft passed within 81,500 kilometres of Dione, taking a series of photographs which were combined into this mosaic. Dione is one of 34 satellites of Saturn, the Solar System's second largest planet. It was originally discovered by Giovanni Cassini, the 17th century astronomer after whom the Cassini spacecraft was named. Its surface is mainly composed of water ice. The wispy deposits, right of centre, are ice cliffs formed by tectonic fractures. It has a diameter of 1118 kilometres and it orbits Saturn at a distance of around 380,000 kilometres.
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Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 04/12/2004, astronomical, astronomy, black--white, cassini, cassini-huygens, cliff, cliffs, crater, cratered, craters, dione, ice, monochrome, moon, solar, space, spacecraft, spaceflight, system, water, wispy
