A Deep Space Illusion: Mimas, Saturn's Rings and Cassini

Collision course! … or not. Saturn's battered moon Mimas appears to be headed for a crash through the planet's trademark rings, but it's all an optical illusion seen by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. While it looks as if Mimas is about to smash into Saturn's rings, the moon is actually 28,000 miles (45,000 kilometers) away. "There is a strong connection between the icy moon and Saturn's rings, though," NASA officials wrote in a description of the image, which the agency released Monday (