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.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, September 19
MISSION SUCCESS: Rocket Lab Launches 96th Electron Mission
Rocket Lab — 3:24 am ET (0724 GMT) AST SpaceMobile Faces Lawsuit Over Its Competitiveness With Starlink Mobile
PC Magazine — 1:24 am ET (0524 GMT) DIU and Space Systems Command award GHOST-R prototype contracts to support GEO recon capabilities for Department of War
US Space Force — 1:22 am ET (0522 GMT) Northrop Grumman to Deliver New Space Domain Awareness Prototype Satellite
Northrop Grumman — 1:21 am ET (0521 GMT) Is Space Force Pivoting Too Soon?
RealClearDefense — 1:21 am ET (0521 GMT) |
