Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Resonances and plateaus in Saturn's C ring

Resonances and plateaus in Saturn's C ring
Resonances and plateaus in Saturn's C ring Saturn's C ring is home to a surprisingly rich array of structures and textures. In this image, a bright and narrow ringlet located toward the outer edge of the C ring is flanked by two broader features called plateaus, each about 160 kilometers wide. Plateaus are unique to the C ring. Cassini data indicates that the plateaus do not necessarily contain more ring material than the C ring at large, but the ring particles in the plateaus may be smaller, enhancing their brightness. This view looks toward the sunlit side of the rings from about 53 degrees above the ring plane. The image was taken in green light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on 14 August 2017. NASA / JPL-Caltech / SSI