It was discovered in 1789 by the English astronomer William Herschel and named for one of the Giants (Gigantes) of Greek mythology. Plumes of water ice spewing from the south polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera, Dec.It was discovered in 1789 by the English astronomer William Herschel and named for one of the Giants (Gigantes) of Greek mythology. Plumes of water ice spewing from the south polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera, Dec.
When did we discover Enceladus?
August 28, 1789 Enceladus was discovered on August 28, 1789, by William Herschel, but little was known about it until the two Voyager spacecraft, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, flew by Saturn in 1980 and 1981….Enceladus.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 513.2 × 502.8 × 496.6 km |
| Mean radius | 252.1±0.2 km (0.0395 Earths, 0.1451 Moons) |
What is the evidence for Enceladus?
Scientists discovered evidence of Enceladus' internal ocean from gravity measurements based on the Doppler effect and the magnitude of the moon's very slight wobble as it orbits Saturn. The data was consistent with the existence of a large global ocean inside the moon.
What did Cassini discover about Enceladus?
Cassini's first close flyby of Enceladus led to discovery of its subsurface ocean. An unexpected finding by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during its first close flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus has led to the discovery of its subsurface ocean, which could, possibly, host microbial life.
How was Enceladus created?
The moon creates a ring of its own as it orbits Saturn—its spray of icy particles spreads out into the space around its orbit, circling the planet to form Saturn's E ring. Enceladus is named after a giant in Greek mythology.
Who discovered Enceladus?
William HerschelEnceladus / Discoverer Enceladus was discovered by William Herschel in 1789, although it wasn't named until more than half a century later.
What did Voyager 2 discover about Enceladus?
Voyager showed that Enceladus sits in the thickest part of the E ring, suggesting that this tiny moon was somehow spewing material into space and building it up over time.
How deep is the ocean on Enceladus?
It covers the entire moon, but it's shielded all the way around by a roughly 13 miles/20km thick ice cap, though half that at the poles. The ocean is about 25 miles/40km deep—according to NASA's Cassini probe—which is vastly deeper than Earth's ocean.
How were Uranus’s rings discovered?
The Discovery of Uranus' Rings On March 10, 1977, astronomers on board the Kuiper Airborne Observatory, a modified C-141 jet transport, discovered the rings of Uranus.
What is special about Io?
Io — Jupiter's fifth moon — is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Io's surface is peppered with hundreds of volcanoes, some spewing sulfurous plumes hundreds of miles high.