APOD: 2019 May 18 - Atlas, Daphnis, and Pan

                         Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
 fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
                           professional astronomer.

                                  2019 May 18
                                      [2]
                           Atlas, Daphnis, and Pan
  Image Credit: Cassini Imaging Team [3] , SSI [4] , JPL [5] , ESA [6] , NASA
                                      [7]

Explanation: Atlas [8] , Daphnis [9] , and Pan [10] are small, inner, ring
moons of Saturn. They are shown at the same scale in this montage [11]  of
images by the Cassini spacecraft that made its grand final orbit [12]  of the
ringed planet in September 2017. In fact, Daphnis was discovered in Cassini
images from 2005. Atlas and Pan were first sighted in images from the Voyager
1 and 2 spacecraft. Flying saucer-shaped Atlas orbits near the outer edge of
Saturn's bright A Ring while Daphnis orbits inside the A Ring's [13] narrow
Keeler Gap and Pan within [14] the A Ring's larger Encke Gap. The curious
equatorial ridges [15]  of the small ring moons could be built up by the
accumulation of ring material over time. Even diminutive Daphnis makes waves
[16]  in the ring material as it glides along the edge of the Keeler Gap.

               Tomorrow's picture: horizontal fire rainbow [17]

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    Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [29] (MTU [30] ) & Jerry Bonnell [31]
                                  (UMCP [32] )
          NASA Official:  Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [33] .
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              A service of: ASD [35]  at NASA [36]  / GSFC [37]
                           & Michigan Tech. U. [38]
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Site notes:
  [1] archivepix.html
  [2] image/1905/PIA21449AtlasDaphnisPan.jpg
  [3] http://ciclops.org/
  [4] http://www.spacescience.org/
  [5] http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
  [6] http://www.esa.int/
  [7] http://www.nasa.gov/
  [8] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/atlas
  [9] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/daphnis
  [10] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/pan
  [11] https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21449
  [12] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/overview/
  [13] ap161124.html
  [14] https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/resources/5526/
  [15] https://www.newscientist.com/article/
dn13014-saturns-flying-saucer-moons-built-of-ring-material/
  [16] ap170121.html
  [17] ap190519.html
  [18] ap190517.html
  [19] archivepix.html
  [20] lib/apsubmit2015.html
  [21] lib/aptree.html
  [22] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  [23] calendar/allyears.html
  [24] /apod.rss
  [25] lib/edlinks.html
  [26] lib/about_apod.html
  [27] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=190518
  [28] ap190519.html
  [29] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  [30] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  [31] http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  [32] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  [33] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  [34] http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  [35] http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  [36] http://www.nasa.gov/
  [37] http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  [38] http://www.mtu.edu/

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