Gallery | Cassini-Pics | Big Rhea is Watching Over You
As every photographer knows, perspective can have a big impact on the way objects are perceived. In this photo, Saturn's moon Rhea appears to hover just above the moon Epimetheus, with Saturn's rings in the background.
But appearances can be deceiving: Cassini took the photo 746,000 miles from Rhea and 994,000 miles from Epimetheus. Therefore, the two moons aren't actually very close to each other. And while Rhea is a larger satellite than Epimetheus, this perspective exaggerates its size advantage: Rhea measures 950 miles in diameter, while Epimetheus is 71 miles in diameter.
But appearances can be deceiving: Cassini took the photo 746,000 miles from Rhea and 994,000 miles from Epimetheus. Therefore, the two moons aren't actually very close to each other. And while Rhea is a larger satellite than Epimetheus, this perspective exaggerates its size advantage: Rhea measures 950 miles in diameter, while Epimetheus is 71 miles in diameter.
