Cassini ring images delight scientists
Posted: Fri, Jul 2, 2004, 10:21 AM ET (1421 GMT)
Images of Saturn's rings taken by the Cassini spacecraft as it entered orbit around the planet this week are pleasing and surprising scientists with their level of detail and complexity. The images, transmitted to Earth on Thursday, hours after the spacecraft entered orbit, provided scientists with their sharpest view yet of the complex system or rings surrounding the planet. The images reveal patterns of density waves in the rings, as well as the scalloped inner edge of a ring, shaped by the gravity of a nearby moon. Other scientists reported that Cassini encountered the bow shock of the planet's magnetosphere earlier than expected, indicating that the bow shock was about 50 percent farther from the planet than where it was when Pioneer 11 and Voyagers 1 and 2 flew past the planet between 1979 and 1981.
Images of Saturn's rings taken by the Cassini spacecraft as it entered orbit around the planet this week are pleasing and surprising scientists with their level of detail and complexity. The images, transmitted to Earth on Thursday, hours after the spacecraft entered orbit, provided scientists with their sharpest view yet of the complex system or rings surrounding the planet. The images reveal patterns of density waves in the rings, as well as the scalloped inner edge of a ring, shaped by the gravity of a nearby moon. Other scientists reported that Cassini encountered the bow shock of the planet's magnetosphere earlier than expected, indicating that the bow shock was about 50 percent farther from the planet than where it was when Pioneer 11 and Voyagers 1 and 2 flew past the planet between 1979 and 1981.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
SpaceX performs two Falcon 9 launches less than an hour apart
Posted: Sun, Aug 16 10:57 AM ET (1457 GMT) Virgin Galactic delays resumption of commercial flights to 2027
Posted: Sun, Aug 16 10:54 AM ET (1454 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, August 20
Firefly Aerospace Onboards Zeno Power on Blue Ghost Mission to Demonstrate Radioisotope Technologies to Survive the Lunar Night
Firefly Aerospace — 7:03 am ET (1103 GMT) Innospace terminates 1st rocket test flight as Sebit veers off course
Yonhap News — 7:02 am ET (1102 GMT) INNOSPACE's SEBIT Rocket Veers Off Course in Debut Test Flight
Seoul Economic Daily — 6:59 am ET (1059 GMT) Innospace shares plunge after South Korea's Sebit test ends early in Brazil
Chosun Ilbo — 6:59 am ET (1059 GMT) Satellite image shows huge crater at key Roscosmos plant in Samara
The New Voice of Ukraine — 6:57 am ET (1057 GMT) |
