Space agencies have scattered a bunch of probes around the Solar System to capture the amazing phenomena that inhabit our neighborhood of the universe. One of them is Cassini, an initiative of the ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) of the United States.
The Cassini space probe was launched in October 1997. And its data, which is still being mined, has helped us understand so much more about Saturn and its moons.
The portal AstroF.3 posts a photo of Janus, a natural satellite of the giant rings, taken by the Cassini space probe. This moon looks like a small pebble, thanks to the imposing background of Saturn in the back.
Janus is a small moon that orbits Saturn and is part of the group of satellites known as “shepherd satellites.” These satellites are responsible for keeping Saturn’s rings in their shape and location, since their gravitational forces help keep them in place.
Janus was discovered on December 15, 1966 by astronomers Audouin Dollfus and Jean-Louis Poy. It has an average diameter of approximately 179 kilometers. Its shape is irregular and has an elongated appearance.
In the image you can see how it is full of craters, on some it is estimated that they have more than 30 kilometers, approximately.