Enceladus: Cosmic Graffiti Artist Caught in the Act

2007/02/08 by A. Verbiscer, R. G. French, M. R. Showalter +1 · 12 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Planetary Science and Exploration #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Enceladus #Solar System #Hubble space telescope #Saturn #Astronomy #Astrobiology #COSMIC cancer database #Physics #Cloak #Geometric albedo #Water ice #Geology #Planet #Optics #Stars #Photometry (optics)

paper · doi:10.1126/science.1134681

openalex publication_date 2007/02/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

As one of the most geologically active bodies in the solar system, Saturn's moon Enceladus not only coats itself with water ice particles, it accounts for the unusually high albedos of the other satellites orbiting within Saturn's vast, tenuous E ring. This effect is evident in Hubble Space Telescope observations obtained at true opposition on 13 and 14 January 2005 that reveal that the mean geometric albedos of satellites embedded within the E ring approximate or exceed unity.

Citations

• Cassini Observes the Active South Pole of Enceladus

Cited by

• Plasma, plumes and rings: Saturn system dynamics as recorded in global color patterns on its midsize icy satellites
• Icy Satellites: Geological Evolution and Surface Processes
• Thermal inertia and bolometric Bond albedo values for Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea and Iapetus as derived from Cassini/CIRS measurements
• The three-dimensional structure of Saturn’s E ring
• Surface composition and properties of Ganymede: Updates from ground-based observations with the near-infrared imaging spectrometer SINFONI/VLT/ESO
• Constraining the surface properties of Helene
• Calypso (moon) [wikipedia]
• Enceladus [wikipedia]
• Epimetheus (moon) [wikipedia]
• Helene (moon) [wikipedia]
• Janus (moon) [wikipedia]
• Tethys (moon) [wikipedia]