Cassini Closes in on Saturn
Explanation:
Are they gone? They were not originally predicted to even be there.
The mystery revolves around strange
shadow-like spokes that appeared on
Saturn's large B-ring, the large middle ring in the
complex system of particles that orbits
Saturn.
The spokes were discovered 23 years ago by the passing
Voyager spacecraft and attributed to very
fine dust of unknown origin.
The missing
spokes were noted in the
above image, taken last month, from the
robot Cassini spacecraft now
approaching Saturn.
Launched in 1997,
the distance remaining between Cassini and Saturn is
now less than half that between the Earth and the Sun.
Cassini is expected to enter orbit around the
ringed Jovian giant
planet in July and drop a probe onto
Titan, Saturn's largest moon.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
