14 DAY TRIAL // Experts from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have just released one of the latest images collected by the American space agency's Cassini spacecraft. In orbit around the gas giant Saturn, the satellite constantly snaps incredible views of the planet's moons, in various arrangements.
In the latest image, the small moon Rhea is seen in precise detail. Some of its largest craters are clearly visible, whereas the smaller ones appear a bit hazier. Considering the photo was taken from 1.2 million miles (2 million kilometers) away, the view is very sharp.
In order to snap this view, experts opted to use the narrow-angle camera (NAC) aboard Cassini. The photo was collected in visible green light wavelengths, on December 10, 2011.
The massive moon Titan, Saturn's largest, is seen in the background, as a big, hazy sphere. The celestial body is one of the most promising in the solar system for holding alien life, since it too has an atmospheric cycle. Unlike Earth, Titan uses liquid hydrocarbons, not water.