Saturn's iconic rings exhibit rainbow phenomena, a mystery that could now be solved by astronomers who have proposed a possible explanation
In the vast expanse of our solar system, optical phenomena reminiscent of Earth's rainbows have been discovered on other worlds. One such intriguing find is the appearance of rainbows around the moon of Saturn, Enceladus.
The Cassini orbiter, in its exploration of the Saturnian system, discovered plumes of water-ice erupting from fissures in Enceladus. These plumes, it seems, might be the source of a series of striking stripes, or Saturn's rainbows, that were only apparent in two Enceladus fly-bys, in December 2010 and May 2012.
A team led by Niels Rubbrecht, in an analysis of old Cassini images, found distinct stripe-like features around Enceladus. The cause of these stripes remains a mystery, but the 'light-dispersing phenomenon' around Enceladus might be caused by the particles from its plumes.
The ice particles near Enceladus create a reflection grating, diffracting light and spreading it into its component wavelengths. The bright band seen in Cassini images is produced by sunlight reflecting off water-ice crystals with a wavelength of around 5μm.
The spectrum of the bright band indicates the presence of water-ice crystals with a smattering of carbon dioxide ice, suggesting freshly ejected material. The separate bands making up the stripes appear to shift in position slightly when examined in different wavelengths of light.
The relative positions of these parallel stripes were consistent between different images, angled around 16° to the plane of the Solar System. The observations of these stripes span almost a year and a half, suggesting that this phenomenon persists for at least that time.
The discovery of these space rainbows around Enceladus is unprecedented and has a poetic beauty to it. The researchers are unsure why the particles creating the reflection grating are larger than those in the plumes and are located far from Saturn's rings.
This fascinating discovery was published online in February 2025 and appeared in the September 2025 issue of a certain website. The cause of the rainbows around Saturn, likely originating from the plumes of Enceladus, was discovered by a research team analyzing Saturn's atmosphere and moon interactions, but the specific individual or team name is not provided in the search results.
This discovery is a testament to the ongoing exploration of our solar system and the wonders that still await us. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos, who knows what other breathtaking sights we might find?
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