Enceladus Flyby E-16 (Raw Image #4)

This raw, unprocessed image of Saturn's moon Enceladus was taken during Cassini's Nov. 6, 2011, flyby which passed within about 300 miles (500 kilometers) of the moon's surface.

This encounter was primarily intended for Cassini's radar instrument to acquire the first close synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images on an airless icy satellite in order to understand the structure and composition of the regolith directly below the surface. During the flyby, the imaging team captured images of the famed jets erupting from the moon's south polar region and other routine images of the surface.

This image has not been validated or calibrated. A validated/calibrated image will be archived with the NASA Planetary Data System in 2012.

For more information on raw images check out our Frequently Asked Questions section.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute