A Braided Ring
| The narrow F-Ring discovered by Pioneer 11 was found to comprise as many as five individual strands. On either side of the F-Ring, two small satellites keep the ring particles confined to their orbit by gravitational forces. These satellites are thus known as the "shepherd satellites." | |
| The Voyager 2 image at right shows the F-Ring and its two shepherd satellites. Each satellite has a different orbital period, and the inner one passes the outer satellite every 25 days. | |
| Individual strands of the F-Ring give it a braided appearance as seen by Voyager 1. The widest areas are clumps of ring material, and may contain tiny moons. The ring here is about 35 kilometers (25 miles) wide. |
Rings of Saturn
Saturn's Rings - The Voyager Encounters | The
Mysterious Spokes
A Braided Ring | Gaps
In The Rings
Saturn Facts || View
From Earth || Pioneer at Saturn || Voyager at Saturn
Rings || Atmosphere
|| Magnetic Field || Moons of Saturn
|| Future Exploration
Imagery Index
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