Enceladus - Implications of its unusual photometric properties

Voyager 1 and 2 images are used to ascertain the photometric properties of Enceladus up to a 43-deg phase angle. The lack of correlation noted between spectrophotometric properties and terrain type indicates that optical characteristics result from a recently-deposited, ubiquitous surface layer that may have originated on the E-ring of Saturn. Enceladus' distinctive phase and photometric functions can be accounted for by the high degree of surface multiple scattering; observations to date indicate that the Enceladus regolith's textural characteristics are similar to those of other icy satellites of Saturn.