Rhea is one of the moons of Saturn, the sixth planet from the Sun.
Discovery: Rhea was discovered by the Italian-French astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1672. It was named after the Titaness Rhea from Greek mythology, who was the mother of several major gods, including Zeus.
Orbit: Rhea orbits Saturn in a prograde direction, along with numerous other moons of Saturn. Its average distance from Saturn is about 527,000 kilometers (328,000 miles). Rhea takes approximately 4.5 days to complete one orbit around Saturn.
Size and Shape: Rhea is the second-largest moon of Saturn, after Titan. It has a mean radius of approximately 764 kilometers (475 miles) and is roughly spherical in shape. Rhea's size places it among the larger moons in the solar system.
Surface Features: Rhea's surface is primarily composed of water ice, with a rocky core. It has a heavily cratered surface, indicating a long history of impacts. Some of the craters on Rhea are quite large, with the largest one named Tirawa.
Bright Wisps: Rhea possesses bright wispy streaks on its surface, particularly in the leading hemisphere. The origin and nature of these features are not yet fully understood but may be related to geological processes or surface deposits.
Rings and Interaction with Saturn: Rhea orbits within Saturn's rings, and its gravitational interactions with the ring particles result in sculpting and disturbances in the rings. These interactions create narrow gaps and waves in the rings, particularly in the outer regions.
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