Cassini/Huygens Mission Update Thread

[Leovinus]

<i>A new found ring of material, S/2004 1 R, in the orbit of Saturn's moon Atlas has been seen in this view of the region between the edge of Saturn's A ring and the F ring.<br /><br />The image was taken by the Cassini spacecraft wide angle camera on July 1, 2004, just after the spacecraft had crossed the ring plane following Saturn orbit insertion.<br /><br />The maximum radial resolution is approximately 7 kilometers (4 miles) per pixel. The region from the A ring to the F ring spans some 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles). The image has been enhanced to show the presence of faint ring material just beyond the edge of the A ring and in the orbit of Atlas (indicated by the red line in the image on the right). The moon Prometheus (102 kilometers or 63 miles across) can be seen close to the F ring at the lower left of the image. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>A small new found object, temporarily designated S/2004 S 3, has been seen orbiting Saturn's outer F ring. The tiny object, seen in this movie centered in a green box, orbits the planet at a distance of approximately 141,000 kilometers (86,420 miles) from the center of Saturn. Its nature, moon or clump, is not presently known.<br /><br />This movie is a sequence of 18 images taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera on June 21, 2004. Images were taken every eight minutes over the course of two and one-quarter hours. Each image has been enhanced to show the presence of the newly detected object.<br /><br />In the first frame, the small moon Atlas (32 kilometers or 20 miles across) can be seen near the main rings at lower left. About one-third of the way through the sequence the moon Janus (181 kilometers or 112 miles across) appears in two images at upper right.<br /><br />The size of the object has been estimated to be four to five kilometers (two to three miles) across. Because it is so small, it is not resolved and appears as a faint point of light just barely visible above the background noise. These images, which are part of a sequence specifically designed to search for small new moons in the inner Saturnian system, have not been cleaned of artifacts but have been greatly enhanced in contrast to increase visibility. Consequently, the main rings are overexposed, and many cosmic ray hits and noise patterns are clearly apparent. The image scale is approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) per pixel. </i> <br /><br />Animated GIF <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>Saturn puts on a mesmerizing display in this image from August 7, 2004. Turbulent swirls and eddies are visible throughout the southern hemisphere. In particular, the boundary of the dark southern polar region displays a prominent oval-shaped storm near the lower right.<br /><br />The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera at a distance of 8.4 million kilometers (5.2 million miles) from Saturn, through a filter sensitive to infrared light. The image scale is 50 kilometers (31 miles) per pixel. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>A stately Saturn poses for a portrait with five of its moons in this Cassini spacecraft wide angle camera view. Satellites visible in this image are (clockwise from upper left): Dione (1,118 kilometers or 695 miles wide), Enceladus (499 kilometers or 310 miles wide), Tethys (1,060 kilometers or 659 miles wide), Mimas (398 kilometers or 247 miles wide) and Rhea (1,528 kilometers or 949 miles wide).<br /><br />The image was taken in visible red light on Aug. 1, 2004, at a distance of 7.8 million kilometers (4.8 million miles) from Saturn. The image scale is 464 kilometers (288 miles) per pixel. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

Simply wonderful .Now awaiting titan.

 

[Leovinus]

<i>The Cassini spacecraft captured this artistic view of elegant waves and ribbons of clouds near Saturn's south pole on Aug. 10, 2004.<br /><br />The image was taken with the narrow angle camera at a distance of 8.6 million kilometers (5.3 million miles) from Saturn through a filter sensitive to wavelengths of infrared light. The image scale is 51 kilometers (32 miles) per pixel. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i> The European Space Agency's Titan-bound Huygens probe, currently attached to the Cassini spacecraft at Saturn, is in good health and successfully passed its 15th in-flight checkout. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>Cassini caught this glimpse of Saturn's second largest moon, 1,528 kilometer (949 mile) wide Rhea on Aug. 16, 2004. Notable in the image is a brightening near the terminator.<br /><br />The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera at a distance of 8.5 million kilometers (5.3 million miles) from Rhea and at a Sun-Rhea-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 86 degrees. The image scale is 51 kilometers (32 miles) per pixel. The image has been enhanced and magnified by a factor of four to aid visibility. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>Saturn's moon Prometheus is seen shepherding the inner edge of Saturn's F ring. Prometheus is 102 kilometers (63 miles) across and was captured in a close-up view by the Cassini spacecraft near the time of orbital insertion at Saturn PIA06098. A number of clumps are visible here along the arcing F ring.<br /><br />The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera on Aug. 5, 2004, at a distance of 8.2 million kilometers (5.1 million miles) from Saturn through a filter sensitive to visible green light. The image scale is 49 kilometers (33 miles) per pixel. Contrast was slightly enhanced to aid visibility. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

That picture with the eddies got me wondering... If Saturn was the same distance from us as Jupiter would the bands show up as well as they do on Jupiter through a back-yard telescope? I've never noticed that much detail before on Saturn. Is it because this is the first probe to spend time there, or because the cameras are better? I guess what I'm getting at is the absolute contrast; is the contrast greater on Jupiter or have I just not been paying enough attention?<br /><br />Thanks for keeping this thread updated Leovinus. I check it every time there is a new post. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

Don't forget that there's always the disclaimer on thes shots: "contrast enhanced to bring out details". That means you probably can't see it that well in visible light without enhancement. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobw]

Does that mean the clouds are made of different stuff? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[thalion]

Saturn's bands have a much lower contrast than Jupiter's, and it wouldn't look much better if it were twice as close, either. The theory is that its clouds lie deeper in the atmosphere, where haze obscures their contrast. Not to mention that it seems that Saturn's atmosphere is less turbulent overall than Jupiter's.

 

[bobw]

I was wondering if maybe the overall light level is just a lot lower out there, too. Deeper would explain it, thanks. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>Saturn's southern polar region is haunted by a number of dark storms in this image, including one storm at right of center with a slight brightening around its boundary.<br /><br />The image was taken with the narrow angle camera on Aug. 10, 2004, at a distance of 8.6 million kilometers (5.3 million miles) from Saturn through a filter sensitive to infrared light. The image scale is 51 kilometers (32 miles) per pixel. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>Looking beyond Saturn's south pole, this was the Cassini spacecraft's view of the distant, icy moon Enceladus on July 28, 2004. The planet itself shows few obvious features at these ultraviolet wavelengths, due to scattering of light by molecules of the gases high in the atmosphere. Enceladus is 499 kilometers (310 miles) wide.<br /><br />The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera at a distance of 7.4 million kilometers (4.6 million miles) from Saturn through a filter sensitive to ultraviolet wavelengths of light. The image scale is 44 kilometers (27 miles) per pixel of Saturn. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>Looking something like the fibrous bow of a violin, Saturn's colorful rings sweep through this spectacular natural color view while two small moons look on.<br /><br />From left, the moons visible here are Janus (181 kilometers, or 112 miles across) and Mimas (398 kilometers, or 247 miles across). Cassini's view in this image is from beneath the ring plane; the moons are on the far side of Saturn. Janus leads Mimas as the two moons orbit the planet.<br /><br />Nearly the entire ring system can be seen in this view. The diaphanous C ring appears at the upper right, followed by the multi-hued B ring. Next, the famous Cassini division (4,800 kilometers, or 2,980 miles wide) separates the A and B rings. The outer edge of the B ring which forms the inner boundary of the Cassini division is maintained by a gravitational resonance with Mimas. Near the outer edge of the A ring are the Encke Gap (325 kilometers, or 202 miles wide) and the barely visible Keeler Gap (35 kilometers, or 22 miles wide). The faint, thread-like F ring is discernible just beyond the main rings.<br /><br />The image was obtained with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera on August 27, 2004, at a distance of 9.1 million kilometers (5.6 million miles) from Saturn. Images taken with red, green and blue filters were combined to create this color view. The moons have been enhanced in brightness to increase their visibility. The image scale is 54 kilometers (34 miles) per pixel. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

Like a violin .I like term.

 

[Leovinus]

<i>Cassini caught this glimpse of Hyperion as the moon tumbled chaotically in its orbit around Saturn. Hyperion is a heavily cratered moon, and in this image it shows a dark spot that may be one of its many large craters. Hyperion's diameter is 266 kilometers (156 miles).<br /><br />The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera on September 12, 2004, at a distance of 8.8 million kilometers (5.4 million miles) from Hyperion and at a Sun-Hyperion-spacecraft or phase, angle of 90 degrees. The image scale is 53 kilometers (33 miles) per pixel. The image was magnified by a factor of four to aid visibility. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>Turbulent swirls and eddies mark the southern boundary of Saturn's bright equatorial band in this Cassini image taken in infrared light.<br /><br />Saturn's rings stretch across the upper right portion of this view. The image was intended to show atmospheric details, and the rings are overexposed in this 22-second exposure. Looking through the gossamer C ring, thin shadows of the rings on the planet are visible at right.<br /><br />The image was taken with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera on September 12, 2004, at a distance of 8.7 million kilometers (5.4 million miles) from Saturn. The image scale is 103 kilometers (64 miles) per pixel. Contrast has been enhanced slightly to increase visibility of fine details. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

<i>In its own way, the shepherd moon Prometheus (102 kilometers, 63 miles across) is one of the lords of Saturn's rings. The little moon maintains the inner edge of Saturn's thin, knotted F ring, while its slightly smaller cohort Pandora (84 kilometers, or 52 miles across) guards the ring's outer edge.<br /><br />This view is a composite of nine raw images combined in a way that improves resolution and reduces noise. The final image was magnified by a factor of five. One of the component images was previously released (see PIA 06098).<br /><br />The image clearly shows that Prometheus is not round, but instead has an oblong, potato-like shape. The moon was discovered during the Voyager mission, and scientists then noted ridges, valleys and craters on its surface. Hints of its varied topography are present in this view, although Cassini will likely obtain much better images of Prometheus later in the mission.<br /><br />The component images were taken over about ten and a half minutes. During that time, the spacecraft's motion caused some blurring of the F ring in the background. Cassini was below the ring plane at the time the images were obtained, and the view here is across the rings toward the distant arm of the F ring. Sunlight is coming from below left.<br /><br />These images were obtained with the Cassini spacecraft wide angle camera on July 1, 2004, around the time Cassini entered Saturn's orbit. The spacecraft's distance from the planet ranged from approximately 181,000 to 190,000 kilometers (112,000 to 118,000 miles) during the time the exposures were taken. The image scale is approximately 11 kilometers (7 miles) per pixel. </i> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[chew_on_this]

Shouldn't we be seeing some new shots of Titan soon?

 

[centsworth_II]

Three more weeks. From this SpaceDaily article:<br /><br /><i>"The October 26 Titan encounter will be much closer than our last one. We'll fly by Titan at an altitude of 1,200 kilometers (746 miles), 'dipping our toe' into its atmosphere," said Signorelli. Cassini's first Titan flyby on July 2 was from 340,000 kilometers (211,000 miles) away.</i><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

Anxiously waitng for titan flybye.Thread has become too long .Cant you open a new thread now?

 

[crowing]

Wow, prometheus is so close to the ring isn't it!<br />All I think about,well not all but some,is that without saturns and jupiter capturing all these objects in their orbits,WE'D BE STUFFED!!!!!!<br /><br /><br /><br />PS Actually more appropriately SMASHED!!!!!