卡西尼在土星外环探测到一颗新的小型卫星！（图）

http://www.enorth.com.cn　 2005-05-13 10:53

据外电最新报道：科学家们利用“卡西尼”号探测器观测到了一颗新的土星卫星，同时指出这颗非常微小的卫星一直“隐藏”在土星外层光环的一个间隙中。

　　这颗卫星是本月初在基勒环缝(Keeler gap)中被发现的。科学家们暂时命名它为“S/2005 S1”，该卫星球径大约为4英里，它到土星中心的距离大约为85,000英里。

　　约瑟夫·斯比淘(Joseph Spitale)是一名来自于美国科罗拉多州玻尔德(Boulder)航天科学学院的行星科学家，本周四他指出：目前还需要更进一步的观测来判定该卫星的轨道形状，但是已经掌握的资料显示它处于基勒环缝的正中心。

　　S/2005 S1卫星是人们在土星微弱光环内发现的第二颗卫星，另外一颗名为潘恩(Pan)，即土卫十八；它位于土星外环的恩克环缝(Encke gap)中。然而土星的其它所有卫星都处于土星光环之外。

编辑： 毛祥懿  

Cassini Finds New Saturn Moon That Makes Waves
May 10, 2005

In a spectacular kick-off to its first season of prime ring viewing, which began last month, the Cassini spacecraft has confirmed earlier suspicions of an unseen moon hidden in a gap in Saturn's outer A ring. A new image and movie show the new moon and the waves it raises in the surrounding ring material.

The moon, provisionally named S/2005 S1, was first seen in a time- lapse sequence of images taken on May 1, 2005, as Cassini began its climb to higher inclinations in orbit around Saturn. A day later, an even closer view was obtained, which has allowed a measure of the moon's size and brightness.


图片说明：该图片为“卡西尼号”探测器5月2日用窄角摄像机拍摄的土星外环照片，在其中科学家们发现了一颗微小的土星卫星，暂时命名为S/2005 S1，该卫星球径约为4英里，到土星中心的距离大约为85,000英里