New Cassini Images Reveal Saturn’s Mysterious Moon Atlas Up Close

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captured these images of Atlas, an inner satellite of Saturn, during a close flyby on April 12, 2017. These are the closest images ever taken of the flying saucer-shaped body — the spacecraft flew by about 7,000 miles (11,000 km) from Atlas to capture its appearance.

This image of Atlas was taken by Cassini’s narrow-angle camera during a close flyby on April 12, 2017. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute.

This image of Atlas was taken by Cassini’s narrow-angle camera during a close flyby on April 12, 2017. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute.

Atlas was originally discovered by NASA scientist Dr. Richard J. Terrile in 1980 in images taken by NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft during its encounter with Saturn.

Also known as S/1980 S 28 and Saturn XV, this moon is approximately 19 miles (30 km) across.

This image of Atlas was taken by Cassini’s narrow-angle camera during a close flyby on April 12. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute.

This image of Atlas was taken by Cassini’s narrow-angle camera during a close flyby on April 12. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute.

Like Pan, Saturn’s second-innermost moon, Atlas has a distinctive flying saucer shape created by a prominent equatorial ridge not seen on other small Saturnian moons.

The small moon orbits 85,544 miles (137,670 km) away from, taking about 14 hours to complete its trip around the gas giant.

It orbits Saturn in a region called the Roche Division, between the gas giant’s A and F rings, at the outer edge of the main ring system.

This image was taken by Cassini’s narrow-angle camera during a close flyby on April 12. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute.

This image was taken by Cassini’s narrow-angle camera during a close flyby on April 12. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / Space Science Institute.

In 2004 a temporary faint ring of diffuse material, designated R/2004 S 1, was spotted in Cassini images of the F-ring region in the same orbit as Atlas.

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