Enceladus: Cosmic Graffiti Artist Caught in the Act

摘要

Saturn's geologically active moon Enceladus is fittingly named for the mythological giant who produces Mount Etna's volcanic fires. The moon's south polar plume eruptions give rise to the vast, tenuous E ring that enshrouds at least 11 satellites. Despite its small size, Enceladus is even more deserving of its gigantic namesake. Here, we report Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of Saturn's satellites at true opposition that show how material originating from Enceladus alters the appearance of its E-ring neighbors.