Saturn's G and D68 rings ISS observations

However, characterizing the SPFs of these extrasolar debris disks is challenging because only a limited range of scattering angles are visible to Earth-based observers. By contrast, Saturn's tenuous rings can be observed over a much broader range of geometries, so their SPFs can be much better constrained.

Since these rings are composed of small particles released from the surfaces of larger bodies, they are reasonable analogs to debris disks and so their SPFs can provide insights into the plausible scattering properties of debris disks. This work examines two of Saturn's dusty rings: the G ring (at 167500km from Saturn's center) and the D68 ringlet (at 67600km). Using data from the cameras on board the Cassini spacecraft, we are able to estimate the rings' brightnesses at scattering angles ranging from 170{deg} to 0.5{deg}.