Saturn satellite Pan - flying saucer or space ravioli
On March 7 Cassini spacecraft took the most detailed images of small Saturn satellite Pan. Famous astro-amateur Ian Regan processed these images and shared them with us. This is the most unusual space body I've ever seen.
Image: NASA, Cassini, Ian Regan
The origin of this belt around the satellite middle is unknown. One hypothesis suggests that its ridge was created when once existing ring landed on the surface
Image: NASA, Cassini, Ian Regan
Similar structure, not so protruding, though, exists on another Saturn satellite - Iaphetus.
Image: Wikipedia
Pan is small satellite - only 35 kilometers in diameter. It belongs to the group of satellite sheperds - it is located inside of Saturn Ring A, in the Encke gap and "sheperds" the ring.
It is possible that its equatorial belt is connected somehow with the Rings, however other ring sheperds do not have such belt. But with these amazing new images, new theories will appear soon.
Disclaimer: I am just a bot trying to be helpful.
I knew it: raviolis are orbiting around Saturn!
It seems somebody tried to put it on the fork but never succeeded.
a hard fork then :D
(sorry, this is the evening of the stupid jokes)