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posted by on Tuesday January 31 2017, @04:03PM   Printer-friendly
from the cassini-liked-it dept.

Newly released images showcase the incredible closeness with which NASA's Cassini spacecraft, now in its "Ring-Grazing" orbits phase, is observing Saturn's dazzling rings of icy debris.

The views are some of the closest-ever images of the outer parts of the main rings, giving scientists an eagerly awaited opportunity to observe features with names like "straw" and "propellers." Although Cassini saw these features earlier in the mission, the spacecraft's current, special orbits are now providing opportunities to see them in greater detail. The new images resolve details as small as 0.3 miles (550 meters), which is on the scale of Earth's tallest buildings.

Cassini is now about halfway through its penultimate mission phase—20 orbits that dive past the outer edge of the main ring system. The ring-grazing orbits began last November, and will continue until late April, when Cassini begins its grand finale. During the 22 finale orbits, Cassini will repeatedly plunge through the gap between the rings and Saturn. The first finale plunge is scheduled for April 26.

Source: https://m.phys.org/news/2017-01-views-saturn-unprecedented.html


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 31 2017, @07:02PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 31 2017, @07:02PM (#461368)

    Reminds me of the person at work who is near retirement and says what they REALLY think because they don't have to worry as much about being reprimanded. It's often refreshing because they are usually right.

    Similarly, Cassini's mission is near its end such that it can take bigger risks and get close to the rings.

  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday January 31 2017, @07:39PM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Tuesday January 31 2017, @07:39PM (#461390) Journal

    Well, the end of mission plan was chosen to avoid what they feel is a bigger risk: contaminating Titan, Enceladus, etc. with foreign microbes.

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    • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday February 01 2017, @01:25AM

      by bob_super (1357) on Wednesday February 01 2017, @01:25AM (#461512)

      That's very human: There might be life we can relate to in this place, so why don't we dump our junk into that other place, ignoring how there could be unexpected forms of life in there?

      Laugh all you want, but when the Ammonia people come to retaliate for the obvious attack, you'll be sorry for doubting they exist!

      • (Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday February 01 2017, @02:56AM

        by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Wednesday February 01 2017, @02:56AM (#461533) Journal

        As amusing as it would be to find life floating around the atmosphere of Jupiter or Saturn, the environment is a little bit harsh. And I don't think you can contaminate it since the craft will burn up completely before it could stop moving.

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