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Whilst many people correctly expected Titan to be the most interesting aspect of the Cassini mission to Saturn, the moon Enceladus gave it a real close run. Passing within about 15 miles of the surface of Enceladus, NASA's Cassini captured this stunning mosaic as the spacecraft sped away from this geologically active moon of Saturn. Craters and cratered terrains are rare in this view of the southern region of the moon's Saturn-facing hemisphere. Instead, the surface is replete with fractures, folds, and ridges--all hallmarks of remarkable tectonic activity for a relatively small world.

Near the top are the conspicuous ridges of Ebony and Cufa Dorsae. Portions of the tiger stripe fractures, or sulci, are visible throughout the image. The icy moon's famed ice volcanoes emanate from at least eight distinct source regions, which lie on or near the tiger stripes.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/ESA