After grazing on Saturn s rings Cassini moves in on moons: related news

After grazing on Saturn's rings, Cassini moves in on moons

Washington - After delivering spectacular images of Saturn's rings in recent years, NASA's Cassini spacecraft turned its focus Monday to Saturn's moons and how sunlight affects the surfaces of the gas giant and its natural satellites. Cassini got a new lease on life earlier this year, when NASA approved the programme for another 60 orbits of Saturn and several dozen flybys of the moons Titan, Enceladus, Dione, Rhea and Helene.

Cassini Primary Mission Complete; Ready to Tackle New Assignments

Saturn’s gorgeous rings. Geysers on Enceladus. Methane lakes on Titan. These are just a few of the images that stand out from the Cassini mission’s four year survey of Saturn and its remarkable system of rings and moons. On June 30 the Cassini spacecraft completes its primary mission at the ringed planet, and now will embark on an extended two year mission, with hopes of studying more closely the most intriguing targets, Titan and Enceladus and the interaction between Saturn’s icy moons and rings.

JPL Enters the Blogosphere

Here we are, four years after the Cassini spacecraft entered orbit around Saturn. We’re about to begin the extended mission, termed the Cassini Equinox Mission. Cassini has been a scientifically remarkable mission and a fantastic return on the investment. If you are reading this blog, then you might already know about Cassini’s discoveries at Enceladus, Titan, the other icy moons, the rings, the magnetosphere and Saturn itself. But if you’re new to following this mission, you can catch up on those discoveries by reading about them here: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features/feature20080627.cfm. This great science is accomplished by an international team of scientists and engineers. I am thrilled to be able to carry the scientific reins for Cassini as its incoming project scientist.

Saturn Fans Invited to 'Kiss My Astra' in Online Photo Contest

The best photo entry wins a fuel-efficient 2008 Saturn Astra XR DETROIT, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Saturn today launched the "Kiss My Astra" national photo contest, offering Saturn fans an opportunity to show just how much they would love to win a new Saturn Astra. Contestants can kiss their own Astra, a friend's Astra or drop by any Saturn retailer and kiss their Astra, and then upload a photo of the kiss at www.ImSaturn.com . The contestant with the funniest, most creative photo - as selected by the online Saturn community - will win a 2008 Saturn XR 5-door. "Saturn vehicles have always inspired feelings of passion from our owners, and the Astra is no exception," says Matt Armstrong, Saturn car marketing manager. "With the 'Kiss My Astra' photo contest, Astra fans can share their public displays of affection for this fuel-efficient, great

Cassini's Primary Mission Ends, Two-Year Extension Begins

wooferhound points out recent news that the Cassini probe has completed its original four-year mission and is beginning a two-year extended mission, which was authorized earlier this year. Cassini's first mission brought us a treasure trove of information about Saturn and its various moons. The new mission will target two of those moons in particular for further study: Titan and Enceladus. Quoting: "The spacecraft is extremely healthy and carries 12 instruments powered by three radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Data from Cassini's nominal and extended missions could lay the groundwork for possible future missions to Saturn, Titan or Enceladus. [The two moons] are primary targets in the two-year extended mission, dubbed the Cassini Equinox Mission.

Saturn Surprises Spur Cassini Mission Reprise (SPACE.com)

Saturn's rings and moons turned out wilder than any scientist could have imagined, but unknowns remain as the Cassini spacecraft concludes its primary mission and embarks on a new one.

NASA extends Cassini's probe of Saturn's moons

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Finished with its four-year primary mission to Saturn, the Cassini orbiter has turned its cameras upon the ringed planet's mysterious moons as it kicks off a two-year extended mission.

NASA extends Cassini's probe of Saturn's moons

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Finished with its four-year primary mission to Saturn, the Cassini orbiter has turned its cameras upon the ringed planet's mysterious moons as it kicks off a two-year extended mission.

NASA extends Cassini's probe of Saturn's moons

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Finished with its four-year primary mission to Saturn, the Cassini orbiter has turned its cameras upon the ringed planet's mysterious moons as it kicks off a two-year extended mission.

Cassini Prepares For Close Flyby of Saturn's Geyser-Spewing Moon

Saturn's tiny moon Enceladus is of big interest to planetary scientists trying to understand the dynamics of the moon's geysers and fissures. On August 11, the Cassini spacecraft will swoop by Enceladus for a close flyby, just 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the surface, with the fractures, or "tiger stripes" near the moon's south pole, where icy jets erupt as the target of study for the Cassini instruments. "Our main goal is to get the most detailed images and remote sensing data ever of the geologically active features on Enceladus," said Paul Helfenstein, a Cassini imaging team associate at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. "From this data we may learn more about how eruptions, tectonics, and seismic activity alter the moon's surface. We will get an unprecedented high-resolution view of the active area immediately following the closest a

Cassini spacecraft pinpoints source of geysers on Saturn's moon

This mosaic of Saturn's moon Enceladus shows the regional context for close-up views NASA's Cassini spacecraft acquired during its flyby on Aug. 11. Areas that are greenish in appearance are believed to represent deposits of coarser grained ice and solid boulders.This mosaic of Saturn's moon Enceladus shows the regional context for close-up views NASA's Cassini spacecraft acquired during its flyby on Aug. 11. Areas that are greenish in appearance are believed to represent deposits of coarser grained ice and solid boulders.

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The most detailed image ever made of Saturn and its rings was sent by the Cassini spacecraft on October 6, 2004. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

Liquid Lake on Titan Confirmed

NASA's Cassini mission has detected liquid hydrocarbons on Saturn's moon Titan, in a large, glassy lake near the moon's south pole. Before the Cassini mission began, scientists thought Titan would have global oceans of methane, ethane and other light hydrocarbons. But after more than 40 close flybys of Titan by Cassini, data showed no global oceans exist. However hundreds of dark, lake-like features are present. Until now, it was not known whether these features were liquid or simply dark, solid material. Using Cassini's Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS), which identifies the chemical composition of objects by the way matter reflects light, a liquid ethane lake 235 kilometers (150 miles) long was detected. This makes Titan the only body in our solar system beyond Earth known to have liquid on its surface.

Astronomers Discover the First Ring Around a Moon

For more than 300 years we thought Saturn was the only body in the solar system with rings. But by 1989, after ground-based measurements and flybys from Voyagers 1 and 2, we had discovered rings around the other three gas giants—Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. Now the Cassini spacecraft appears to have found a ring system around Saturn’s second-largest moon, Rhea. The discovery took astronomers by surprise. Just what is a ring doing around a moon, especially one that is significantly smaller than our own?

Saturn's moon Titan has liquid lake, confirms NASA

Two moons of the planet Saturn, the brightest body in the solar system, Enceladus, is contrasted here against Titan's smoggy, golden murk in this photograph taken by the Cassini spacecrafts narrow angle camera February 5, 2006 and released by NASA June 21, 2006. At least one of the large lakes observed on Saturn's moon Titan contains liquid hydrocarbons, NASA scientists have concluded. (Xinhua/Reuters file Photo)

Saturn's moon Titan has liquid lake, confirms NASA

Two moons of the planet Saturn, the brightest body in the solar system, Enceladus, is contrasted here against Titan's smoggy, golden murk in this photograph taken by the Cassini spacecrafts narrow angle camera February 5, 2006 and released by NASA June 21, 2006. At least one of the large lakes observed on Saturn's moon Titan contains liquid hydrocarbons, NASA scientists have concluded. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Mission to Saturn goes into overtime

Saturn and its rings star in this view from the Cassini orbiter, with the moon Mimas playing a supporting role as a faint speck at upper left, and the unseen moon Enceladus casting another speck of a shadow on Saturn's disk. The picture was taken on Dec. 16, 2007, and released on Friday.

Saturn Leads The Download Revolution As The 1st European Portal to Offer Universal Music Entertainment's Complete Catalogue in MP3; service powered by 24-7 Entertainment

BERLIN, Germany (Business Wire) -- German retail giant, Saturn, is the 1st European partner to offer Universal Music Entertainment's full digital music catalogue in a DRM-free format. Saturn's download portal, (http://www.saturn.de/musikdownload/), powered by 24-7 Entertainment, now features over 215,000 Universal tracks including the complete Pop & Jazz catalogue, bringing Saturn's total Mp3-count to over two million tracks. The Classical catalogue is currently being added and will be accessible shortly. All tracks are available in high quality Mp3 320k.

Saturn Leads The Download Revolution As The 1st European Portal to Offer Universal Music Entertainment's Complete Catalogue in MP3; service powered by 24-7 Entertainment

BERLIN, Germany, Sep 01, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- German retail giant, Saturn, is the 1st European partner to offer Universal Music Entertainment's full digital music catalogue in a DRM-free format. Saturn's download portal, ( http://www.saturn.de/musikdownload/), powered by 24-7 Entertainment, now features over 215,000 Universal tracks including the complete Pop & Jazz catalogue, bringing Saturn's total Mp3-count to over two million tracks. The Classical catalogue is currently being added and will be accessible shortly. All tracks are available in high quality Mp3 320k.

NASA says liquid confirmed on Saturn's moon Titan

FILE *** This true-color image taken in visible wavelengths by the Cassini spacecraft on June 10, 2004 and released by NASA on Friday, July 2, 2004, shows Titan, a moon of Saturn, enveloped in a photochemical smog. At least one of many large, lake-like features on Saturn's moon Titan studied by the international Cassini spacecraft contains liquid hydrocarbons, making it the only body in the solar system besides Earth known to have liquid on its surface, NASA said Wednesday July 30, 2008. (AP Photo/NASA, FILE)

Cassini Prepares for Monday Flyby of Saturn Moon

NASA's Cassini spacecraft is going to get another up-close-and-personal look at Saturn's moon Enceladus on Monday. Scientists hope the glimpse at fractures on the icy moon's surface will provide clues as to how the jets spewing from them form.

Cassini to Search for Source of Saturn Moon's Plumes

On Monday, the Cassini spacecraft will return to Saturn's icy moon Enceladus, passing within 50 kilometres of its south pole. NASA team members hope the flyby will provide evidence for subsurface liquid water containing the building blocks of life.

Cassini Prepares To Swoop By Saturn's Geyser-Spewing Moon

Fractures, or "tiger stripes," where icy jets erupt on Saturn's moon Enceladus will be the target of a close flyby by the Cassini spacecraft on Monday, Aug. 11.

Cassini Prepares to Swoop by Saturn's Geyser-Spewing Moon

Fractures, or "tiger stripes," where icy jets erupt on Saturn's moon Enceladus will be the target of a close flyby by the Cassini spacecraft on Monday, Aug. 11.

Cassini Prepares to Swoop by Saturn's Geyser-Spewing Moon

(PhysOrg.com) -- Fractures, or "tiger stripes," where icy jets erupt on Saturn's moon Enceladus will be the target of a close flyby by the Cassini spacecraft on Monday, Aug. 11.

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