Dione and ring shadows on Saturn Cassini image Dione is around kilometres in diameter and orbits some kilometres from the giant Saturn Saturns rings are edgeon in this view and run across centre just below Dione Due to the high inclination of Saturn to the Sun at this time the shadows of the rings are widely spread across its clouds in upper frame The varying densities of the rings are responsible for the varying darkness of the shadows This image was taken on nd September when Cassini was around kilometres from Dione