Iziphi izinyanga zikaSaturn i-Pioneer 11 eyazithola futhi yazithatha izithombe zazo?
Context:Ngalesi sikhathi, i-Voyager 1 ne-Voyager 2 zase zidlulile kakade i-Jupiter futhi nazo zase zisendleleni eya ku-Saturn, ngakho kwanqunywa ukuba i-Pioneer 11 idlule emkhakheni wendandatho ka-Saturn endaweni efanayo eyayizosetshenziswa yizinhlolovo ze-Voyager ezazizovela maduze ukuze kuhlolwe umzila ngaphambi kokufika kwe-Voyager. Uma kwakukhona izinhlayiya ezincane ezisezinhlayiyeni ezazingase zilimaze i - probe kuleyo ndawo, abahleli bomsebenzi babecabanga ukuthi kungcono ukuba bafunde ngakho nge - Pioneer. Ngakho, iPioneer 11 yayisebenza "njengephayona" ngomqondo wangempela walelo gama; uma kwakutholakala ingozi, khona-ke imikhumbi-mkhathi i-Voyager yayingase iqondiswe kude kakhulu nezindandatho, kodwa ilahlekelwe ithuba lokuvakashela i-Uranus ne-Neptune kule nqubo.  I - Pioneer 11 yathatha izithombe futhi yacishe yashayisana nenye yezinyanga ezincane zikaSaturn, yadlula ebangeni elingekho ngaphezu kwamakhilomitha angu - 4 000 (2 500 mi). Leyondawo yahlolwa okwesikhashana ngokuthi i-Epimetheus, inyanga eyatholakala ngosuku olwandulela lolu ngokuthwebula izithombe nge-Pioneer, futhi eyayisolwa ngokubheka kwasekuqaleni ngama-telescope asemhlabeni. Ngemva kokudlula kwe-Voyager, kwaziwa ukuthi kunezinyanga ezimbili ezinobukhulu obufanayo (i-Epimetheus ne-Janus) emzileni ofanayo, ngakho-ke kukhona ukungaqiniseki ngokuthi iyiphi eyayiyiyona eyathintwa i-Pioneer. I-Pioneer 11 yahlangana noJanus ngoSepthemba 1, 1979 ngo-14: 52 UTC ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-2500 no-Mimas ngo-16: 20 UTC ngosuku olufanayo ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-103000.  Ngaphandle kwe - Epimetheus, izinsimbi zathola enye inyanga encane eyayingakaze itholakale ngaphambili nendandatho eyengeziwe, zabalaza i - magnetosphere kaSaturn namandla kazibuthe futhi zathola ukuthi inyanga yayo elingana neplanethi, iTitan, ibanda kakhulu ukuba ukuphila kube kuyo. Njengoba yayihamba ngaphansi kwesibhakabhaka sezindandatho, i - probe yathumela izithombe zezindandatho zikaSaturn. Lezi zindandatho, ngokuvamile ezibonakala zikhanya uma zibhekwa zisuka eMhlabeni, zabonakala zimnyama ezithombeni ze-Pioneer, futhi izikhala ezimnyama ezisemigqeni ezibonakala zisuka eMhlabeni zabonakala ziyizindandatho ezikhanyayo.
* U-Epimetheus * UJanus * Izithombe I - Titan *