Cassini detects tenuous atmosphere around Saturn moon
Posted: Tue, Mar 6, 2012, 6:50 AM ET (1150 GMT)
Scientists have found that an icy moon of Saturn has a very tenuous atmosphere of molecular oxygen. Instruments on NASA's Cassini spacecraft detected the presence of ions of molecular oxygen surrounding the moon Dione, with a density similar to the Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of nearly 500 kilometers. Scientists believe the oxygen is created when solar photons or energetic particles strike the moon's icy surface, liberating oxygen, but haven't rules out geological processes. Cassini also detected a similar tenuous atmosphere around Saturn's moon Rhea in 2010.
Scientists have found that an icy moon of Saturn has a very tenuous atmosphere of molecular oxygen. Instruments on NASA's Cassini spacecraft detected the presence of ions of molecular oxygen surrounding the moon Dione, with a density similar to the Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of nearly 500 kilometers. Scientists believe the oxygen is created when solar photons or energetic particles strike the moon's icy surface, liberating oxygen, but haven't rules out geological processes. Cassini also detected a similar tenuous atmosphere around Saturn's moon Rhea in 2010.
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