Tag: Cassini

  • Perils and discoveries lie ahead for long-lived Saturn orbiter

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    This view shows Saturn’s northern hemisphere in 2016, as that part of the planet nears its northern hemisphere summer solstice in May 2017. Saturn’s year is nearly 30 Earth years long, and during its long time there, Cassini has observed winter and spring in the north, and summer and fall in the south. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space…

  • Cassini offers best-ever view of Saturn’s rings

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    This image taken Dec. 18, 2016, shows a region in Saturn’s outer B ring. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft viewed this area at a level of detail twice as high as it had ever been observed before. The view here is of the outer edge of the B ring, at left, which is perturbed by the most…

  • Saturn’s shepherd moon Daphnis makes waves

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    The wavemaker moon, Daphnis, is featured in this view taken by the Cassini spacecraft Jan. 16. It is the closest picture of Daphnis ever taken. Each pixel measures about 551 feet (168 meters) across. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has captured the first close-up view of Daphnis, one of at least 62 moons…

  • Study suggests Saturn’s moon Dione has underground ocean

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    This view from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft looks toward Saturn’s icy moon Dione, with giant Saturn and its rings in the background, just prior to the mission’s final close approach to the moon on Aug. 17, 2015. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Scientists crunching data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft believe Saturn’s moon Dione has a liquid ocean…

  • Saturn’s moons align for cosmic photo opportunity

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    Like a cosmic bull’s-eye, Enceladus and Tethys line up almost perfectly for Cassini’s cameras. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute NASA has released an image of Saturn’s moons Enceladus and Tethys caught in a rare alignment by the Cassini spacecraft, which is heading for its final close encounter with the icy moon Enceladus Saturday. Taken Sept. 24,…

  • Cassini images just a taste of Enceladus flyby science return

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    NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captured this view as it neared icy Enceladus for its closest-ever dive past the moon’s active south polar region.Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Days after a fleeting plunge through the icy plumes of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft is broadcasting tantalizing data back to Earth for scientists eager to address the moon’s…

  • Cassini survives daring flight through plumes of Enceladus

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    Updated after confirmation of Wednesday’s flyby. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft radioed home Wednesday after a high-speed dash through the wispy fountains of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, sampling particles that hold telltale hints whether alien life could survive somewhere in the depths of a vast global ocean hidden beneath a crust of rumpled ice. Scientists believe the material seeping…

  • Cassini transmits home first views of Enceladus’ north pole

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    NASA’s Cassini spacecraft zoomed by Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus on Oct. 14, 2015, capturing this stunning image of the moon’s north pole. The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 4,000 miles (6,000 kilometers) from Enceladus and at a Sun-Enceladus-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 9 degrees. Image scale is 115 feet (35 meters) per…

  • NASA probe makes last visit to Saturn’s moon Dione

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    The Cassini spacecraft snapped this view of Dione backdropped by Saturn on Monday. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Scientists are getting a final look at Saturn’s icy moon Dione for decades to come with fresh imagery streaming down this week from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which made its last close flyby of the Texas-sized satellite Monday. The…

  • Saturn moon’s ice canyons viewed by Cassini

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    Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI Saturn’s moon Dione received a fleeting visitor this week, when NASA’s Cassini spacecraft whizzed by to image bizarre streaks thought to be canyons with ice walls up to 100 stories tall. The raw images from Cassini’s encounter are flowing back to Earth, and they reveal wispy bands of bright material stretching hundreds of…