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
|
|
Senate seeks to add $10 billion to NASA human spaceflight programs
Posted: Sat, Jun 7 10:46 AM ET (1446 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, June 15
Starlink mind games in South Africa
MyBroadband — 12:10 am ET (0410 GMT) Amazon Project Kuiper satellite launch scheduled for Monday afternoon
WESH-TV Orlando — 12:08 am ET (0408 GMT) Study highlights need to manage the growth of space exploration
Radio New Zealand — 12:06 am ET (0406 GMT) A Nazi rebranded as a Space Race hero – but you probably knew that already
The Daily Telegraph — 12:02 am ET (0402 GMT) NASA Considers Axiom Launch Next Week Following Delay
Bloomberg News — 12:02 am ET (0402 GMT) |
