Atlas, Daphnis & Pan

Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive

In each day a different type of image or photograph of NASA's fascinating universe will featured, along with a shortcut explanation obtained  by the professional astronomers.

Atlas, Daphnis, and Pan

Image Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA

Atlas, Daphnis, and Pan are small and inner, ring moons of Saturn, shown at the same scale in this montage of images from the still Saturn-orbiting Cassini spacecraft. In fact, Daphnis was invented inCassini 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 narrow Keller Gap and Pan within the A Ring's larger Encke Gap. The curious equatorial ridges of the small ring moons could be built up by the accumulation of ring material over time. Even diminutive Daphnis makes waves in the ring material as it glides along the edge of the Keller Gap.