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 December 16
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                             Crescent Enceladus
   Image Credit: [3]Cassini Imaging Team, [4]SSI, [5]JPL, [6]ESA, [7]NASA

   Explanation: Peering from the shadows, the Saturn-facing hemisphere of
   [8]tantalizing inner moon Enceladus poses in this Cassini spacecraft
   image. [9]North is up in [10]the dramatic scene captured during
   November 2016 as Cassini's camera was pointed in a nearly sunward
   direction about 130,000 kilometers from the moon's bright crescent. In
   fact, the distant world reflects over 90 percent of the sunlight it
   receives, giving its surface about the same reflectivity as [11]fresh
   snow. A mere 500 kilometers in diameter, [12]Enceladus is a
   surprisingly active moon. Data and images collected during Cassini's
   flybys have revealed water vapor and ice grains spewing from south
   polar geysers and evidence of an [13]ocean of liquid water hidden
   beneath the moon's icy crust.

                     Tomorrow's picture: the same color
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    Authors & editors: [25]Robert Nemiroff ([26]MTU) & [27]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([28]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [29]Specific rights apply.
              [30]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [31]ASD at [32]NASA / [33]GSFC,
                         [34]NASA Science Activation
                           & [35]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2312/PIA20522enceladus.jpg
   3. https://ciclops.org/
   4. https://www.spacescience.org/
   5. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   6. https://www.esa.int/
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200427.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151021.html
  10. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20522
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050224.html
  12. https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/solar-system/#/story/enceladus_discovery?slide=slide_1
  13. https://www.nasa.gov/missions/cassini/nasa-study-finds-life-sparking-energy-source-and-molecule-at-enceladus/
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231215.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  18. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  23. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=231216
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231217.html
  25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  26. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  28. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  30. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  31. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  34. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  35. http://www.mtu.edu/