We may not get to voyage among our planets just yet, but thanks to various spacecraft that traverse our solar system, sometimes we get to feel like we do.
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captured images of a trio of Saturn’s moons — Tethys, Enceladus and Mimas — as they appear to balance among the rings of the giant planet (click here for a high-definition image).
The image was taken on Dec. 3, 2015 by Cassini at a distance of about 1.35 million km from Enceladus, 1.9 million km from Tethys and 1.7 million km from Mimas.
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The Saturn system contains more than 60 known moons which all seem to be very different.
Titan, for example, is Saturn’s largest moon. It is considered to be Earth-like, with weather systems and lakes. However, it’s not a place that is habitable for humans: its lakes and rain are comprised of methane and hydrocarbons, much like gasoline.
Enceldaus, photographed here just below the ring-plane, is one that has intrigued astronomers and planetary scientists for years. In 2005, Cassini discovered that geysers of water vapour were erupting from the cracks of this icy body. And in 2015, a study found that the moon most likely has a vast underwater ocean and could even be home to microbial life.
Cassini, which launched in 1997, has been orbiting Saturn since 2004, collecting data on Saturn and its moon system. The mission received an extension until September 2017.
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