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Explanation: Why caused this great white spot on the surface of Saturn's moon Rhea? The spot was first noticed last year by the robot Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn. Cassini's flyby of Rhea in April imaged in the spot in great detail. Astronomers hypothesize that the light-colored spot is the result of a relatively recent impact on the surface of the icy moon. The impact that likely created the crater also splashed light-colored material from the interior onto the darker surface. Rhea spans 1,500 kilometers across and is the second largest moon of Saturn after Titan. Rhea sports several other light colored surface features that are, as yet, not well understood.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Saturn - Rhea
Publications with words: Saturn - Rhea
See also:
- A Lunar Corona with Jupiter and Saturn
- Jupiter and Saturn Great Conjunction: The Movie
- Great Conjunction: Saturn and Jupiter Converge
- Saturn and Jupiter in Summer 2020
- Great Conjunction over Sicilian Lighthouse
- Saturn and Jupiter over Italian Peaks
- APOD: 2020 August 13 Á Jupiter and Saturn Rising Beyond Alien Throne Rock