If it's not a streak - and nothing in the image indicates it is - then the presence of the gravity waves in the rings either side of the gap around it indicate it has decent mass, thus it is probably too coherent to be just a rubble pile-up. The orientation of the form so it's parallel to the ring is interesting - are we seeing multiple shots of it?
If it's not rotating relative to its orbital period then it probably is being held together by internal strength and is probably a cylinder/cigar. Just how the damn thing formed like that is a real puzzle. Due to the blockiness of the image resolution at that range it seems more geometrical than it probably really is, but it reminds me of a huge crystal, or hexagonal tube like some snowflakes form.
Space/Science » in reply to I think the guys on this thread have done a pretty good analysis
Gravity and shape
The whole thread (35 posts)
- An interesting "thing" in the 35 km wide Keeler gap around Saturn
- Two likely end-members
- "Explanation"?
- Finally! Justification for manned mission to Saturn!
- Um...are there three of them? (n/t)
- Or is it emitting Whale sounds LOL!
- re: Um...are there three of them?