by APOD Robot » Sun Apr 10, 2016 4:15 am
Cassini Approaches Saturn
Explanation: Cassini, a
robot spacecraft launched in 1997 by
NASA, became close enough in 2002 to resolve many
rings and
moons of its destination planet:
Saturn. At that time,
Cassini snapped several images during an engineering test. Several of those images were combined into the contrast-enhanced color composite
featured here. Saturn's rings and
cloud-tops are visible toward the image bottom, while
Titan, its largest moon, is visible as the speck toward the top. When
arriving at Saturn in July 2004, the
Cassini orbiter began to circle and study the Saturnian system. A highlight was when Cassini launched the
Huygens probe that made an
unprecedented landing on Titan in 2005, sending back
detailed pictures. Now nearing the end of its mission,
Cassini is scheduled to embark on a
Grand Finale phase in late 2016 where it will repeatedly dive between the giant planet and its innermost rings.
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[url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160410.html][img]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_160410.jpg[/img] [size=150]Cassini Approaches Saturn[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] Cassini, a [url=http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/index.cfm]robot spacecraft[/url] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLqZv94L3MA]launched[/url] in 1997 by [url=http://www.nasa.gov/]NASA[/url], became close enough in 2002 to resolve many [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap020215.html]rings[/url] and [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moons_of_Saturn]moons[/url] of its destination planet: [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/%20http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/Saturn]Saturn[/url]. At that time, [url=http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/overview/index.cfm]Cassini[/url] snapped several images during an engineering test. Several of those images were combined into the contrast-enhanced color composite [url=http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02884]featured here[/url]. Saturn's rings and [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap960317.html]cloud-tops[/url] are visible toward the image bottom, while [url=http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/titan]Titan[/url], its largest moon, is visible as the speck toward the top. When [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110315.html]arriving at Saturn[/url] in July 2004, the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassini%E2%80%93Huygens]Cassini orbiter[/url] began to circle and study the Saturnian system. A highlight was when Cassini launched the [url=https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/spacecraft/huygens.html]Huygens probe[/url] that made an [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2MpHaL8708]unprecedented landing[/url] on Titan in 2005, sending back [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150116.html]detailed[/url] [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050117.html]pictures[/url]. Now nearing the end of its mission, [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassini%E2%80%93Huygens_retirement]Cassini[/url] is scheduled to embark on a [url=http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/files/Cassini_Grand_Finale_Fact_Sheet_508.pdf]Grand[/url] [url=http://www.astrobio.net/topic/solar-system/saturn/cassini-names-final-mission-phase-grand-finale/]Finale[/url] phase in late 2016 where it will repeatedly dive between the giant planet and its innermost rings.
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