This image taken by the Cassini spacecraft and provided by NASA on March 12, 2006 shows two of Saturn’s moons, small Epimetheus and Titan shrouded in smog, with Saturn’s A and F rings stretching across the frame. Launched in 1997, Cassini reached Saturn in 2004 and explores it from its orbit. Cassini’s fuel tank is almost empty, so NASA opted for a risky, but science-rich, grand finale.
2 / 5 | What is the form of Epimetheus and what characteristic contributes to his appearance?
Spherical with a smooth surface
Potato-shaped with flattening at the south pole
Oval shape with no notable features
Disc-shaped thanks to rapid rotation
Epimetheus is a potato-shaped moon. Its shape reflects a pronounced flattening at the Epimethean South Pole associated with the remains of a large crater.
3 / 5 | Which spacecraft confirmed the existence of Janus and Epimetheus in 1980?
Traveler II
Cassini
Traveler I
Hubble Space Telescope
When Voyager 1 approached Saturn in 1980, its instruments provided highly detailed images of the planet and its moons. These images definitely showed two distinct moons, Janus and Epimetheus, sharing almost identical orbits.
