NASA has announced that last week, the Cassini space probe, a collaboration between the United States and Europe, came within approximately 500 kilometers of the surface of Dione, a moon of Saturn. This close approach revealed a frozen surface marked by signs of tectonic activity, although it lacks an atmosphere.
Scientists have drawn comparisons between Dione and another of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus, which has recently been discovered to have frozen volcanic activity and a thin atmosphere.
Astronomer Bonnie Buratti, who specializes in analyzing images from the Cassini spacecraft, describes Dione as the “sister” of Enceladus. While Enceladus is a younger moon with ongoing geological activity, Dione is considered an older and more mature moon.
Dione features icy cliffs that create streaks across its surface. Internal forces appear to have fractured the moon’s surface, suggesting tectonic activity is at play.
