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This latest image from the Cassini spacecraft will make you do a double-take! It is an optical illusion, but the two moons appear like conjoined, identical twins! The two moons are fairly close in size, but Dione, the smaller of the two at the top in the image, is actually closer to the spacecraft, making the two look almost identical. And because of the similar albedo, or reflectivity, of the two moons and because of the location of a particularly large crater near the south polar region of Dione, the moon appears blended seamlessly with Rhea. Double your pleasure!
Dione is 1123 kilometers (698 miles) across and Rhea is 1528 kilometers (949 miles) across.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on July 27, 2010.
Wow, that’s a cool coincidence about the crater near the south pole of Dione!
I wouldn’t be surprised if Dr. Richard Wiseman picks this up and asks his blogees what comes to mind first when they see this picture.
Navneeth, wouldn’t that depend on the gender of the blogee?
I see “moobies”, which should place me.
This pic has ballz.
“Ok, tell me when these two images come together,” said the ophthamologist.
It is unique, and fascinating to live at a time where we see these things.
LC