Astronomy Picture of the Day

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

                               2023 February 5
   [2]A large tan ball with multiple complex grooves is pictured. A sliver
   on the far right side appears almost white. Please see the explanation
                       for more detailed information.

                          Enceladus by Saturnshine
   Image Credit: [3]NASA; [4]ESA, [5]JPL, [6]Cassini Imaging Team, [7]SSI;
                    Color Composite: [8]Gordan Ugarkovic

   Explanation: This moon is [9]shining by the light of its planet.
   Specifically, a large portion of Enceladus [10]pictured here is
   illuminated primarily by sunlight first reflected from the [11]planet
   Saturn. The result is that the normally [12]snow-white moon appears in
   the gold color of [13]Saturn's cloud tops. As most of the illumination
   comes from the image left, a [14]labyrinth of ridges throws notable
   shadows just to the right of the image center, while the kilometer-deep
   canyon [15]Labtayt Sulci is visible just below. The bright thin
   crescent on the far right is the only part of [16]Enceladus directly
   lit by the Sun. The [17]featured image was taken in 2011 by the robotic
   [18]Cassini spacecraft during a close pass by by the [19]enigmatic
   moon. Inspection of the lower left part of this digitally sharpened
   image reveals [20]plumes of ice crystals thought to originate in a
   [21]below-surface sea.

                     Tomorrow's picture: stars and dust
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [37]Specific rights apply.
              [38]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [39]ASD at [40]NASA / [41]GSFC,
                         [42]NASA Science Activation
                           & [43]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2302/enceladus12_cassini_960.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   6. https://ciclops.org/
   7. https://www.spacescience.org/
   8. https://www.flickr.com/people/ugordan/
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetshine
  10. https://www.flickr.com/photos/ugordan/6823818755/
  11. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/saturn/in-depth/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050317.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170829.html
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinth
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081222.html
  16. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/saturn-moons/enceladus/in-depth/
  17. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ugordan/6823818755/
  18. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/mission/spacecraft/cassini-orbiter/
  19. https://www.intermountainpet.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/Dogs-tilting-their-heads.jpg
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170416.html
  21. https://astrobiology.com/2022/09/new-evidence-for-habitability-in-enceladus-ocean.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230204.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230205
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230206.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  42. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  43. http://www.mtu.edu/