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[VIDEO] New analysis by Cassini scientists reveals amazing dynamism in Saturn’s F-ring

New discoveries are being revealed every day from the Cassini mission. Now a long-standing mystery in Saturn’s F-ring is dispelled.

There seems no limit to the things Cassini reveals about our mysterious outer neighbors in the Solar System…

After analyzing the paths of Saturn’s moons, scientists discovered the origins of some of the strange trails they’d previously noticed perforating the rings, specifically the F-ring. It turns out that the moon itself passes through this ring and in so doing, picks up the ice and dust particles that make the ring what it is and carries them along in its wake. Presto! Instant “mini-jet,” as science has known them for some time.

And it turns out that these trails are not just created by moons like Prometheus. Some objects as small as a kilometer wide do the same thing. Check out the last image, which removes Saturn from the shot and emphasizes the F-ring mini-jets. Amazing stuff!

Unfortunately, I cannot embed the video. But I can send you along to the link, so off you go.

By Tommy Belknap

Owner, developer, editor of DragonFlyEye.Net, Tom Belknap is also a freelance journalist for The 585 lifestyle magazine. He lives in the Rochester area with his wife and son.