https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jpl/cassini-reveals-strange-shape-of-saturns-moon-pan

These raw, unprocessed images of Saturn’s tiny moon, Pan, were taken on March 7, 2017, by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. The flyby had a close-approach distance of 24,572 kilometers (15,268 miles).

These images are the closest images ever taken of Pan and will help to characterize its shape and geology.

Getting some good value out of Cassini’s last days.

I have no theories about what could have made Pan look like this. It looks like a crude parody of Saturn.

dv said:

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/jpl/cassini-reveals-strange-shape-of-saturns-moon-pan

These raw, unprocessed images of Saturn’s tiny moon, Pan, were taken on March 7, 2017, by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. The flyby had a close-approach distance of 24,572 kilometers (15,268 miles).

These images are the closest images ever taken of Pan and will help to characterize its shape and geology.

Getting some good value out of Cassini’s last days.

I have no theories about what could have made Pan look like this. It looks like a crude parody of Saturn.

It looks …wrong.

>These raw, unprocessed images of Saturn’s tiny moon

That’s no moon!

runs away

>I have no theories about what could have made Pan look like this. It looks like a crude parody of Saturn.

Yes, weird coincidence that Saturn should have a moon that looks like an inflatable Saturn toy.

Actually it looks more like a ham roll with the slice of ham too big for the roll.

Bubblecar said:

Actually it looks more like a ham roll with the slice of ham too big for the roll.

polished hermit crab shell. without crab.

sarahs mum said:

Bubblecar said:

Actually it looks more like a ham roll with the slice of ham too big for the roll.

polished hermit crab shell. without crab.

Spider’s egg-sac.

It’s obviously a derelict mothership…

Saturn’s moon Atlas has a similar equatorial ridge. I assume it’s caused by accumulating material from the rings.

Actually it also looks like a really shitty flying saucer from a 1950s sci-fi film.

dv said:

Actually it also looks like a really shitty flying saucer from a 1950s sci-fi film.

The left image of Atlas could be any one of a thousand grainy UFO snaps from the 50s-60s.

Bubblecar said:

dv said:

Actually it also looks like a really shitty flying saucer from a 1950s sci-fi film.

The left image of Atlas could be any one of a thousand grainy UFO snaps from the 50s-60s.

At a suitable resolution it looks like Hugo Weaving.

> Saturn’s moon Atlas has a similar equatorial ridge. I assume it’s caused by accumulating material from the rings.

Those images are startling. Yes, Pan does orbit within the rings, so could could pick up a lot of equatorial material from the rings. Like the equatorial ridge on Saturn’s moon Iapetus, but proportionally much larger.

Shape reminds me of the Mythbusters episode about the Civil War fused bullets. Two bullets meeting head on and forming one larger deformed lump of lead with an large squashed ring in the middle.

Pity we couldn’t get Cassini to land on Pan. I’d love to get a really close-up look at that bulge material.

mollwollfumble said:

Pity we couldn’t get Cassini to land on Pan. I’d love to get a really close-up look at that bulge material.

It would be great to do that

Looks like someones hat

looks like it was a blob of lava in space and another blob of lava squished into it center on

Tau.Neutrino said:

mollwollfumble said:

Pity we couldn’t get Cassini to land on Pan. I’d love to get a really close-up look at that bulge material.

It would be great to do that

Looks like someones hat

looks like it was a blob of lava in space and another blob of lava squished into it center on

No, it’s most likely ring material building up over a long period. These moons are located in lanes within Saturn’s rings.

Missed the controvesy when this was about but it does seem to paint Leak as a reactionary nobber:

http://www.sbs.com.au/comedy/article/2016/09/21/bill-leaks-benefit-why-its-not-okay-compare-gay-people-nazis

Opps. Fred Wong strikes again.

Bubblecar said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

mollwollfumble said:

Pity we couldn’t get Cassini to land on Pan. I’d love to get a really close-up look at that bulge material.

It would be great to do that

Looks like someones hat

looks like it was a blob of lava in space and another blob of lava squished into it center on

No, it’s most likely ring material building up over a long period. These moons are located in lanes within Saturn’s rings.

Still, for the ring matter to be deposited so regularly implies that the orbit of Pan is EXTREMELY equatorial

dv said:

Bubblecar said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

It would be great to do that

Looks like someones hat

looks like it was a blob of lava in space and another blob of lava squished into it center on

No, it’s most likely ring material building up over a long period. These moons are located in lanes within Saturn’s rings.

Still, for the ring matter to be deposited so regularly implies that the orbit of Pan is EXTREMELY equatorial

Or was, for a long time in the past.

Bubblecar said:

dv said:

Bubblecar said:

No, it’s most likely ring material building up over a long period. These moons are located in lanes within Saturn’s rings.

Still, for the ring matter to be deposited so regularly implies that the orbit of Pan is EXTREMELY equatorial

Or was, for a long time in the past.

Good catch

Witty Rejoinder said:

Missed the controvesy when this was about but it does seem to paint Leak as a reactionary nobber:

http://www.sbs.com.au/comedy/article/2016/09/21/bill-leaks-benefit-why-its-not-okay-compare-gay-people-nazis

I get it. Dead Pan.

I looked it up. Pan’s orbital inclination is about a ten-thousandth of a degree. That’ll do it.

It is nice that the solar system still holds little surprises like this.