by Lynne Jolitz
Good thing that Leonard and others had their scopes set up, including an orange tube C-8! I'm glad someone appreciates antique instruments... :-)
The panel really wanted to talk at a more professional level, so younger children were bored inside. Lines were 10-20 people deep at the scopes, though, and kept the kids happy - and outside. Ben and Rebecca stayed for the talk, though - they're used to them. :-)
A few items from the panel discussion - some great new photos of the rings I hadn't seen before with speculation we may be looking at ice braids miles long and not necesarily separately revolving snowballs kind of all moving together. Also some finer photos of the density patterns and distribution - and no spokes (perhaps an aliasing artifact of earlier imaging from Voyager 2, or are they just not appearing right now?). The spoke pattern may actually be a finernetwork of rings and the compression waves more like spirals rippling through.
More analysis of Iapetus and it's spattering - seems very similar in composition to Phoebe (Kuiper-belt derived). So more mysteries.
And for the sweetener - new photos ("hot off the presses") of Tethys and the great crater of Odysseus.
Posted on sf-bay-tac Apr 18, 2005 10:39:30 PT
Converted by report.pm 1.2 Apr 23, 2005 22:21:53 PT