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A Comprehensive Survey of Spokes in Cassini Images of Saturn’s B Ring

Presentation #301.02 in the session Ring Systems: Planetary Rosetta Stones.

Published onOct 20, 2022
A Comprehensive Survey of Spokes in Cassini Images of Saturn’s B Ring

Spokes are clouds of micron-sized ice particles that are found in Saturn’s B ring. How these features form is still being debated. We have conducted a comprehensive survey of Cassini images containing the B ring in order to investigate spoke properties under a wide range of conditions. These data provide a timeline showing how the intensity of spoke activity rises and falls with Saturn’s seasons. In addition, spokes can appear dark, bright, or both under different conditions. In particular, both bright and dark spokes can be simultaneously seen in images obtained at low phase angles. These findings should help clarify the origins and characteristics of spokes.

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