Using the spectral data collected by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) onboard NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, a team of researchers has found a mixture of organic materials and water ice in nine impact craters on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. This colorized radar image, taken by NASA’s Cassini …
Read More »Hemisphere of Enceladus
Spectral data gathered by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) onboard NASA’s Cassini spacecraft provide strong evidence that the northern hemisphere of Saturn’s moon Enceladus has been resurfaced with ice from its interior. In these detailed infrared images of Enceladus, reddish areas indicate fresh ice that has been deposited …
Read More »Cassini Spots Bright Clouds of Methane in Titan’s Atmosphere
NASA’s Cassini orbiter watched bright, feathery clouds of methane moving across the northern regions of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, on May 7, 2017. This image was taken on May 7, 2017, at a distance of 316,000 miles (508,000 km). The view is an orthographic projection centered on 57 …
Read More »Stunning NASA Video Shows Cassini’s First ‘Grand Finale’ Dive
A new movie sequence of images from Cassini shows the view as the orbiter swooped over Saturn during the first of its ‘Grand Finale’ dives between the gas giant and its rings on April 26, 2017. As Cassini made its first-ever dive through the gap between Saturn and its rings …
Read More »Dust-Free Region between Saturn and Its Rings Puzzles Cassini Scientists
On April 26, 2017, NASA’s Cassini orbiter made its first ‘Grand Finale’ dive through the previously unexplored gap between Saturn and its rings. An analysis of data collected by Cassini’s Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument shows that this dive was nearly particle free. The unexpected finding that the …
Read More »This Week in Space: Cassini, the James Webb Space Telescope, and Bricks
NASA finally unfurled the James Webb Space Telescope! The JWST has been undergoing acoustic and vibration testing for months, but it’s been fully opened because now it’s time for the next phase of testing. That will take place at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. There, mission techs and …
Read More »Cassini’s First Grand Finale Images of Saturn Are In, and They’re Stunning
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has been observing Saturn since 2004, but mission control has been careful not to get too close to the ringed planet for fear of damaging the probe. Now, Cassini is nearly out of fuel, and it’s time to take some risks. Cassini began altering its trajectory early …
Read More »NASA’s Cassini Orbiter Makes First ‘Grand Finale’ Dive
On Wednesday, April 26, 2017, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft successfully made its first dive through the narrow gap between the giant planet Saturn and its rings. This Cassini image shows features in the atmosphere of Saturn from closer than ever before. The view was captured by the spacecraft during its first …
Read More »Cassini spacecraft’s grand finale at Saturn depicted in Google doodle
Today, the Cassini Spacecraft is going where no spacecraft has gone before — on a dive in between Saturn’s rings to take photos and collect data. Google is celebrating this historic mission with an animated Google doodle, a special logo, to grab people’s attention. The doodle shows a cartoon spacecraft …
Read More »NASA’s Cassini Orbiter Makes Final Close Flyby of Saturn’s Hazy Moon Titan
On April 22, 2017, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft made its 127th and final close approach to Titan, passing at an altitude of about 608 miles (979 km) above the moon’s surface. This image of Titan (colorized) was captured by Cassini during its final close flyby of the hazy moon on April …
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