Saturn's Faint Inner D-Ring Target Name:   Saturn Spacecraft:   Voyager 2 Produced by:   Calvin J. Hamilton Copyright:  © 2002 Calvin J. Hamilton Date Taken:   25 August 1981 Date Released:  12 February 2002 (Publisher Permission Request)

• Saturn's Magnificent Rings
• Saturn

Voyager 2 took this picture of Saturn's faint inner D-ring on August 25, 1981 about 1 hour 48 minutes before the spacecraft's closest approach to Saturn. The range was 195,400 kilometers (121,300 miles) and phase angle was 166`. This view includes the sun's shadow across the ring. Voyager 1 saw this region in a similar view, but this higher-resolution image shows many more ringlets and gaps. The D-ring is very tenuous and has an extremely small optical depth.