NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has beamed back a stunning close-up image revealing the wave structure of Saturn’s rings.

The spacecraft currently is closing in on the end of its epic 20-year-long journey in space, as it prepares to take the final plunge into the atmosphere of Saturn.

A gravitational kick in April from Saturn’s moon Titan placed the two-and-a-half tonne space probe on its path for impending destruction on September 15.

In this case, every second wave crest is actually the same spiral arm which has encircled the entire planet multiple times.

Every time one of those orbit swaps takes place, the ring at this location responds, spawning a new crest in the wave.